Awami League-backed Abdul Alim wins Phulgazi by-election

The Awami League-backed candidate Abdul Alim has won the Phulgazi Upazila Parishad by-election.

The votes to the vacant seat was held on Sunday after previous chairman Ekramul Haque was hacked and burnt to death by a gang of assailants in Feni on May 20.

Alim, who contested with the poll symbol pen and inkpot, was declared winner by Returning Officer Mohammad Mahidur Rahman.

He bagged 47,266 votes against his nearest rival the BNP-favoured Mahtab Uddin Minar who got 4,289 for his pineapple logo.

The BNP leader is accused of the murder of Haque and was arrested just a few hours before polls opened.

He was sent to jail on Sunday noon, leading his agents and supporters to announce a boycott alleging irregularities and rigging.

Minar’s chief election coordinator Fazlul Haq Chowdhury Saju claimed the ruling party activists had driven out their agents from polling stations.

He claimed the poll had been rigged at most of the centres.

A large number of law enforcers were deployed as all 30 centres in the by-poll were identified as ‘risky’.

BGB troopers patrolled the streets along with ansars, police, and RAB personnel. Fifteen magistrates were deployed to maintain order.

Assistant Presiding Officer Nurul Alam at a polling station in Anandapur Union claimed Alim’s supporters had snatched 36 ballot papers from a polling booth.

Another election official of the same centre claimed he had seen 15 torn ballot papers lying in his booth.

But the centre’s Presiding Officer Wahidul Islam denied the allegations.

District Returning Officer and Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Enamul Haque rubbished allegations of irregularities.

“Balloting was peaceful,” he said.