AL’s Zahangir on course to win Gazipur mayor race, pledges to work with all if elected

The Awami League’s Zahangir Alam appears set to win the Gazipur City Corporation mayoral election.

He says he wants to work with all for the city’s development, if elected.     

Zahangir was leading the BNP’s Hasan Uddin Sarker by 163,725 votes in 338 of 425 centres.

According to the results announced until 5am on Wednesday, Zahangir has drawn 324,411 votes with boat logo while his nearest rival Hasan polled 160,686 with the sheaf of paddy.

Returning Officer Rakib Uddin Mondol was announcing results from the Bangataz Auditorium.

The voting at the city corporation with around 1.14 million voters was held from 8am to 4pm on Tuesday.

Speaking to bdnews24.com at the Gazipur Club, Zahangir said he would prioritise working in coordination with all to widen the streets, set up a proper drainage system and construct pavements.

The 39-year-old general secretary of the ruling party’s Gazipur city unit is a readymade garment entrepreneur.

His rival Hasan, 70, was an MP during the Jatiya Party’s regime in the 80s. Hasan had also been elected mayor of Gazipur municipality twice before it was declared a city corporation.     

The BNP-backed candidate MA Mannan won the last polls to the city corporation in 2013, but the party dropped him this time with the election held on party lines for the first time.

Zahangir said he had told the voters that they needed a change as the BNP “did not work for the city’s development after winning the 2013 polls”.

“I asked them to vote for me so that I can make a masterplan and implement it,” he said.

Women waiting outside a polling centre to cast their votes on Tuesday. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

The Election Commission postponed voting at nine centres for irregularities like snatching of ballot boxes and stuffing of ballot papers by force, but claimed there were no irregularities in the other 416 centres.

The number of voters in the nine postponed centres is around 24,000, according to the EC.

The BNP has alleged agents of its mayoral candidate were driven out from over 100 centres.

The party’s delegation described the Gazipur civic polls as “grand festival of fake votes” in a meeting with the EC.

EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed claimed the photos and videos of irregularities in the polling stations posted on the social media were inauthentic.

And he blamed the irregularities at the nine centres on the councillor candidates.

Zahangir admitted there were “some irregularities during the election”.

“It won’t be right if I say it was a 100 percent fair election,” he said.

Emerging from the polling centre, BNP's mayoral candidate Hasan Uddin Sarker meets the reporters on Tuesday. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

The former leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League, however, added that the BNP candidate should respect the mandate of the voters of Gazipur.

“I want to build a planned city with all. I don’t know whether his (Hasan’s) comments were his own. These appeared to me to be the BNP’s comments. I urge all not to speak about any irregularities without having proper information,” Zahangir said.

“I will call and consult everyone (if elected). I will try to sit with all after discussion with our leaders. I am maintaining communication with all,” he added.