Sadiq Abdullah of AL bags eight times more votes than BNP’s Sarwar in Barishal mayor race

Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah of the ruling Awami League has won the battle of Barishal mayor's office by taking an unassailable lead, bagging eight times more votes than his nearest rival the BNP’s Mazibor Rahman Sarwar.

Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, the Awami League’s mayoral candidate in the Barishal City Corporation election, casts his vote at the Barishal College polling centre on Monday. Photo: Mostafigur Rahman Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, the Awami League’s mayoral candidate in the Barishal City Corporation election, casts his vote at the Barishal College polling centre on Monday. Photo: Mostafigur Rahman

Awami League candidate Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah makes a ‘V’ sign after casting his ballot in the Barishal City Corporation election on Monday. Photo: Mostafigur Rahman Awami League candidate Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah makes a ‘V’ sign after casting his ballot in the Barishal City Corporation election on Monday. Photo: Mostafigur Rahman

Mazibor Rahman Sarwar, the BNP’s mayoral candidate for the Barishal City Corporation election, announces his withdrawal from the race over allegations of ‘massive election rigging and irregularities’ Photo: Mostafigur Rahman Mazibor Rahman Sarwar, the BNP’s mayoral candidate for the Barishal City Corporation election, announces his withdrawal from the race over allegations of ‘massive election rigging and irregularities’ Photo: Mostafigur Rahman

Votes are counted at the Barishal Islamia Government Primary School on Monday after polls closed at 4pm. Photo: Mostafigur Rahman Votes are counted at the Barishal Islamia Government Primary School on Monday after polls closed at 4pm. Photo: Mostafigur Rahman

Sadiq’s boat logo drew 107,353 votes while Sarwar polled 13,135 in 107 of 123 centres, according to results published on Monday.

Returning Officer Md Mazibor Rahman announced the results from Nathullabad Regional Election Office of the city after the voting from 8am to 4pm.

The returning officer did not declare the winner unofficially as voting was postponed in 15 centres and results in another due to irregularities and clashes. 

But the 32,930 votes in these 16 centres in no way can affect the mayoral election results in which Sadiq has taken a lead of around 87,000 votes. 

All the six candidates other than Sadiq have announced a boycott of the polls alleging huge irregularities.

Awami League candidate Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah makes a ‘V’ sign after casting his ballot in the Barishal City Corporation election on Monday. Photo: Mostafigur Rahman

Mazibor Rahman Sarwar, the BNP’s mayoral candidate for the Barishal City Corporation election, announces his withdrawal from the race over allegations of ‘massive election rigging and irregularities’ Photo: Mostafigur Rahman

In the city of 242,166 voters, 94 are contesting for 30 posts of general councillors and 35 for 10 councillor posts reserved for women.

Sarwar was elected the first mayor of Barishal after it became a city corporation in 2002.

In the last polls in 2013, the BNP’s Ahsan Habib Kamal defeated the Awami League candidate Shawkat Hossain Hiron by a margin of over 17,000 votes.

The BNP took back Sarwar to the mayor race while the ruling party put trust in relatively young in politics, Sadiq, after the death of Hiron.

It was the first contest for the 43-year-old Sadiq, whose family has been involved in politics for long.

His father Abul Hasanat Abdullah has been representing the Agailjhara-Gouranadi constituency in parliament for a long time. 

Barishal Awami League’s Joint General Secretary Sadiq has described himself as a self-educated businessman in the information submitted to the Election Commission. He is a director of Kanta Corporation Private Limited.