Dhaka South City mayor-elect Sayeed Khokon pledges to protect opposition supporters

Remembering his father late Dhaka mayor Mohammad Hanif, he said, “My father had taught me that honour begets honour. So, I’ll keep the citizens of Dhaka, including the opposition, safe.”

Khokon was speaking to the press at the Awami League headquarters on Wednesday, a day after the civic polls.

He also promised not to abuse his powers.

The organising secretary of the ruling party’s Dhaka city unit expressed his eagerness to work with all regardless of their party affiliations or opinions in order to build a modern Dhaka.

Khokon defeated BNP-backed candidate Mirza Abbas by around 250,000 votes.

The BNP boycotted the polls to Dhaka North, South and Chittagong city corporations midway through voting. The party alleged widespread rigging of votes.

Khokon faced questions from reporters in connection with the BNP allegations.

“A few sporadic incidents had taken place but the election was fair,” he said.

Khokon, in his manifesto, had stressed a solution to Dhaka’s traffic congestion.

He said he would sound out the citizens of Dhaka to solve the city’s many problems.

Meanwhile, winner of Dhaka North City Corporation’s mayor post Annisul Huq thanked the voters for their mandate.

Businessman Huq, too, won the polls with the ruling Awami League’s support.

After the announcement of the results on Wednesday morning, he told reporters that he would take steps to solve the citizens’ problems in the capital’s northern part as promised in his election manifesto.

In a Facebook post, he wrote, “Thank you everybody for electing me the first mayor to Dhaka North City Corporation. Now the journey to resolve problems begins.”