AL-backed Sayeed Khokon leads in Dhaka South mayor race

Awami League-endrosed candidate Sayeed Khokon is still leading the race to get elected as mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation.

Khokon, contesting with the electoral symbol ‘hilsa’ got 527,563 votes, according to the official results from 865 of 889 voting centres announced until 5am on Wednesday.

His main rival, BNP-backed Mirza Abbas, with the ‘mug’ symbol, managed 285,943 votes.

Abbas has pulled out of the race citing large-scale rigging by ruling part supporters and other irregularities.

Polling took place in Dhaka South from 8am until 4pm on Tuesday.

Voting was suspended at Bongshal’s Suritola Primary School, Jurain Ashraf Master Ideal School and in a centre at Khilgaon due to irregularities.

After the daylong voting, the vote counting is still on. 

Returning Officer Mihir Sarwar Morshed is announcing the results at his office set up at Gulistan’s Mahanagar Natyamancha.

The election to the Dhaka South City Corporation, which has about 1.9 million voters, took place on Tuesday along with Dhaka North and Chittagong city corporations.

Altogether 20 people are contending for the office of the mayor of Dhaka South in its first election after the Dhaka City Corporation’s bifurcation in November 2011.

The other contenders are Jatiya Party’s Saifuddin Milon (sofa), BaSaD’s Bazlur Rashid Firoz (table), Golam Maula Rony (ring), Asaduzzaman Ripon (orange), Md Aktaruzzaman (gourd), Rezaul Karim Chowdhury (table clock), Abdul Khalek (cake), Jahidur Rahman (laptop), Abu Naser Md Masud Hossain (spinning wheel), Sultan Bahar (shirt), Shahin Khan (ship), Dilip Bhadra (elephant), Shahidul Islam (bus), Shafiullah Chowdhury (peacock), ASM Akramm (cricket bat), Abdur Rahman (flask), Mashiur Rahman (cheetah) and Ayub Hossain (eagle).

In Dhaka South, 390 are contesting for general councillor posts in 57 wards, while 97 are vying for 19 wards reserved.