AL candidates win mayoral races in Rajshahi, Sylhet
News Desk :
The ruling Awami League candidates AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Md Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury were elected mayors of Rajshahi and Sylhet respectively, in the city corporation polls held on Wednesday amid low voter turnout.
AHM Khairuzzaman Liton got 1,59,797 votes, and his closest opponent Islami Andolon’s Murshid Alam, got 13,393 votes in the RCC polls, while Md Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury bagged 1,18,614 Votes to defeat Jatiya Party’s Md Nazrul Islam, who got 50,321 votes.
Chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said on Wednesday, while talking to the press at the EC in the capital, that about 46 per cent in the SCC and 52-55
per cent votes were cast in the RCC polls.
‘Polling in both city corporations ended without any major unwanted incidents. Voters exercised their franchise without any obstacle and in a free and fair manner,’ Habibul said.
Liton, after casting his vote at Rajshahi Satellite Town High School, said that the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party missed an opportunity to judge public support through the city polls.
‘The voting was satisfactory, but BNP could come to the polls and gain insight into public opinion about them,’ he said.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has boycotted the ongoing city elections, saying that a free and fair election under the ruling Awami League is not possible.
Jatiya Party candidate Saiful Islam Swapan alleged that his agents were not allowed to enter some centres in the morning.
Saiful complained about the slow voting process caused by electronic voting machines, which was also a concern for many voters, New Age staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported.
Abul Kalam Azad, a voter at the Samsher Ali Mollah Government Primary School polling centre, said that he could not cast his vote despite trying four times.
Another voter, Faraz Ali, at the Danshmari High School polling centre had to wait for more than three hours to vote.
The centre’s presiding officer, Nur Hossain, said that the voting was slow because there was a problem with the EVM.
A mobile court sentenced a woman, Sabia Begum, to three days in jail for entering a polling booth with voters multiple times at the Talaimari Darul Ulum Alim Madrasah polling centre.
Besides, the followers of two councillor candidates, Ruhul Amin and Ashraful Islam, clashed and vandalised their electoral camps in front of the Keshabpur Government Primary School polling centre under ward no. 4. Later, the law enforcers brought the situation under control.
In most of the centres, only Awami League candidate’s polling agents were present. Zaker Party-backed Lotif Anwar also contested for mayor’s office in the RCC polls.
Besides, 46 candidates contested for 10 reserved councillor posts, while 111 vied for 30 regular councillor positions.
Islami Andolon Bangladesh announced a boycott of the Rajshahi and Sylhet city polls in protest of an attack on the party’s mayoral candidate during the Barishal City Corporation polls on June 12.