Vote count in municipal elections begins

The counting of votes in the third phase of municipal polls held on Wednesday has begun.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 May 2016, 01:43 PM
Updated : 25 May 2016, 01:43 PM

Election Commission Assistant Secretary Rajib Ahsan said voting was held in nine municipalities from 8am to 4pm without any break.
 
The municipalities are Ghorhashal and Raipura in Narsingdi, Lakshmipur Sadar, Kasba in Brahmanbarhia, Sadar and Senbagh in Noakhali, Chhagalnaiya in Feni, Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar and Ramgarh in Khagrhachharhi.
 
Irregularities were reported from Chhagalnaiya within two hours of voting.
 
BNP mayor aspirant in the municipality Md Alamgir boycotted the elections, alleging violence and vote rigging.
 
Presiding Officer at the Chhagalnaiya Pilot High School centre, Amzad Hossain, admitted irregularities and said 70 ballots had been cancelled.
 
BNP’s mayoral candidate in Noakhali Harunur Rashid also boycotted polls, alleging malpractices.
 
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference in Dhaka alleged large-scale rigging of votes and take-over of polling centres.
 
 “Terror has been unleashed by armed Awami League goons in the municipal elections just as it was done during the union council polls,” he said.
 
A total of 413 candidates, including 27 mayoral aspirants, are contesting the polls. The elections for mayoral posts are being held along party lines.
 
Thirty-eight RAB teams and 12 platoons of BGB were deployed alongside police personnel to maintain order during the polls. Executive and judicial magistrates were also deputed there.
 
Elections in 227 municipalities were held on Dec 30 last year in the first phase and in 10 municipalities on Mar 21 in the second phase.
 
The Ruling Awami League bagged 177 mayoral posts, while the BNP took 22, the Jatiya Party one and independent candidates 26 in the first-phase polls. 
 
All 10 mayoral posts went to the ruling party in the second phase.