Ruling party candidates bag 21 chairman posts
Rebels stun AL with 11 wins in Zila Parishad polls
STAFF REPORTER
Awami League rebels posted a surprising thrust winning 11 chairmen posts whiel party-bacjked candidates managed to bag 25 posts in the election to 38 Zila Parishads held yesterday.
Besides, two independent constant also defeated AL-backed chairman aspirants in two zila parishads, according to the unofficial results. Election to Kushtia and Bogra were postponed following court orders.
A total of 21 AL-backed chairman candidates were already elected uncontested in the election boycotted by the BNP and main opposition Jatiya Party.
The AL-backed candidates who were unofficially elected are Alhaj Osman Gani Patwary in Chandpur, Md Miajuddin Khan in Madaripur, Maidul Islam in Barisal, M Shamsul Islam in Laxmipur, M Zafar Ali in Kurigram, Advocate Asaduzzaman in Narsingdi, Mostak Ahmed in Coxs Bazar, Dr ABM Zafar Ullah in Noakhali, Golam Mohiuddin in Manikganj, Md Moinuddin Mandal in Chapainawabganj, Fakir Abdul Jabbar in Rajbari, Md Motiar Rahman in Lalmonirhat, Rezaul Rahim in Pabna, Khan Mosharraf Hossain in Patuakhali, Md Lutfar Rahman in Sylhet, Chowdhury Imdadul Haq in Gopalganj, Pankaj Kundu in Magura, Azizur Rahman in Moulvibazar, Md Delwar Hossain in Barguna, Advocate Shafiya Khanam in Rangpur, Sabedur Rahman Khoka Sikder in Shariatpur, Yusuf Khan Pathan in Mymensingh, Sheikh Harun-or-Rashid in Khulna, Kanak Kanti Das in Jhenaidah, and Abu Taher in Comilla.
The 11 AL rebels who were unofficially elected are Shafiqul Alam in Brahmanbaria, Humayun Kabir Ruman in Sherpur, Mohammad Ali Sarkar in Rajshahi, Sheikh Shamsul Abedin Khan in Chuadanga, Sohrab Hossain Biswas in Narail, Golam Rasul in Meherpur, Nurul Huda Mukut in Sunamganj, Amanullah Bacchu in Panchagarh, Faruq Ahmed in Jamalpur, Nazrul Islam in Satkhira, and Mohiuddin Maharaj in Pirojpur,
The independent candidates who were elected chairmen are Md Ataur Rahman Ata in Gaibandha and Joynal Abedin in Nilphamari.
The 21 chairman posts that went uncontested are in Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Jaypurhat, Naogaon, Natore, Sirajganj, Jessore, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Bhola, Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Gazipur, Tangail, Munshiganj, Dhaka, Narayanganj, Faridpur, Habiganj, Feni and Chittagong.
BNP and Jatiya Party did not join the Zila Parishad election which was held in non-partisan manner unlike the local bodies Union Parishad, Municipality, Upazila Parishad and City Corporation.
Earlier, expressing his reaction on the polls, Chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said, The zila parishad poll was held in a fair and peaceful manner. I visited two centres in Dhaka and the election was peaceful.
He was speaking at a press conference at the Election Commission Secretariat in Dhaka.
The CEC said elaborate arrangements were made so that voters could enter the polling centres without any intimidation and cast their ballots.
There were allegations of candidates using their influence, intimidation and violation of the electoral code of conduct. On poll eve, police detained a supporter of a member candidate with Tk. 2.5 lakh in Doarabazar in Sunamganj.
According to the District Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016, a district council constitutes a chairman, 15 members and five women members. They are elected as representatives of different local government bodies like city corporations, upazila parishads, municipalities and union parishads.
Two polling centres in Kurigram were suspended following separate High Court orders but polling in other stations was held peacefully.
Khan Mohammad Nurul Amin, Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram, suspended voting activities of Phulbari Girls High School polling centre under ward No 6 of Phulbari upazila and voting activity of the sole general member post of Roumari Model Government Primary School polling centre under ward No 14 of Roumari upazila, said the district election officer Delwar Hossain.
The Election Commission postponed polls in the polling centres in Sonaimuri, Begumganj, Senbagh and Noakhali Sadar just before few minutes of starting the poll at 9am.
Monir Hossain, assistant returning officer, said, We have received the copy of the high court order asking for the postponement of the polls just before few minutes of beginning the elections.
Many voters came to the polling stations but they had return as no votes were held, he added.
In Narsigndi, police detained a union parishad member from Chalakchar government primary school polling centre when he came to cast his vote.
Police said they arrested the UP member Ratan Mia as he was is accused of bank cheque fraud case. He could not cast his vote.
In Chapainawabganj, President of Chapainawabganj district unit of Awami League and former administrator of Chapainawabganj district council Moinuddin Mondal has been unofficially declared chairman of the council.
He got 307 votes and his nearest candidate BNP supporter Md Abdul Wahed got 249 votes, said returning officer and deputy commissioner of Chapainawabganj Md Mahmudul Hasan.
In Chuadanga, Shamsul Abedin Khokon, a rebel candidate of Awami league won the election as chairman.
Awami League candidate Mahfuzur Rahman Monju bagged 247 votes while rebel candidate got 266 votes in the election.
In Pirojpur, AL rebel chairman candidate Mohiuddin Maharaj won in the district council defeating Awami League (AL) nominated candidate Md Shah Alam.
Maharaj is the organising secretary of district unit AL and Shah Alam is former ruling party lawmaker and former district council administrator. In the election, Maharaj got 423 votes and Shah Alam got 302 votes.
In the election three candidates competed for the chairman post.
In Jamalpur, Awami League rebel candidate District Awami League Secretary Faruk Ahmed Chowdhury was elected the chairman unofficially. He bagged 600 votes out of 985 votes. His nearest candidate AL nominated Advocate HR Zahid Anwar got 376 votes.
In Manikganj, Awami League nominated Advocate Golam Mohiuddin Pineapple symbol has been elected Chairman in Manikganj Zila Parishad election. The election was held peacefully.
He defeated his party rebel candidate contesting former Mayor of Manikganj Municipality Md Ramjan Ali with Mobile Phone symbol.
In Chandpur, District Awami Leagues ex-Vice President and noted social worker Alhaj Osman Ghani Patwary was unofficially elected chairman. He bagged 770 votes while his nearest rival candidate Vice President of Dhaka South Awami League Nurul Amin Ruhul polled 411 votes.
On November 20 last, the EC declared schedule for the maiden election to Zila Parishad.
