Municipal Election
Polls in 9 municipalities of Ctg district tomorrow
All preparations are complete for holding the municipal elections in Chittagong and Sylhet division tomorrow.
In nine municipalities under Chittagong district, 44 candidates are contesting for mayoral posts, 352 for 81 general councillor posts and 85 others for 27 reserved seats of female councillors.
Quite a few 'rebel' candidates are in the mayoral race as the two major parties -- ruling Awami League (AL) and opposition BNP have failed to present single mayoral candidates in several municipalities.
Authorities have taken special measures including deployment of army and navy along with police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard of Bangladesh, and Ansar and VDP as 70 of the 105 centres in the nine municipalities under Chittagong district have been marked as 'most vulnerable'.
The number of mayoral contestants is nine in Mirsarai, six each in Baroiarhat and Raozan, four each in Sandwip, Banshkhali, Satkania and Chandanaish, five in Patiya and three in Rangunia municipality.
Number of voters is 9444 in Mirsarai, 6629 in Baroiarhat, 40458 in Raozan, 25500 in Sandwip, 29230 in Patiya, 22064 in Chandanaish, 27840 in Satkania, 20866 in Banshkhali and 19676 in Rangunia.
In Raozan, Mirsarai, Baroiarhat, Patiya, Sandwip and Banshkhali municipalities, several pro-Awami League (AL) candidates are contesting. In Sandwip, Mirsarai and Baroiarhat municipalities, more than one pro-BNP candidates are contesting. Jamaat-e-Islami backed mayoral candidates are contesting in Mirsarai and Baroiarhat.
In Raozan, the lone candidate from BNP Abdullah Al Hasan, also the president of Raozan municipality unit of BNP, is enjoying a good position as five pro-AL mayoral candidates are contesting there.
AL Raozan upazila unit President and incumbent Mayor Shafiqul Islam Chowdhury and AL North district unit Environment Affairs Secretary and former mayor Debashis Palit are two potential candidates from the party, said party sources. Joint convener of Raozan municipality unit of AL Anwarul Islam and AL leaders Abu Baker Siddique and Mohammad Musa are also in the race.
In Patiya, BNP fixed Nurul Islam as its lone mayoral candidate while AL has two rival candidates including AL Patiya municipality unit Vice President Prof Harunur Rashid and central Jubo League leader Badiul Alam. There are two other mayoral candidates including former mayor and Jatiya Party leader Shamsul Alam Master and Liberal Democratic Party leader Mohammad Ali in Patiya.
Of nine mayoral candidates in Mirsarai, three are from AL, four from BNP, one from Jamaat and two others are independent candidates. In Baroiarhat, AL fixed SM Abu Tayab as mayoral candidate but two more rivals from the party are contesting. BNP also is facing the same problem here with party-backed Moinuddin Liton and rival Jalal Uddin.
Jamaat-backed Fazlul Karim is contesting here. In Banshkhali municipality, two rival candidates from the AL are contesting, making a better scope for the lone BNP candidate and incumbent Mayor Kamrul Islam Hossaini.
Although AL nominated Sheikh Fakhruddin Chowdhury as mayoral candidate his rival Mohammad Akhter Hossain is contesting as independent candidate. Two persons from AL and two others from BNP are contesting for the mayoral post in Sandwip.
Both the AL and BNP could set single mayoral candidates in Rangunia, Chandanaish and Satkania municipalities. In Rangunia, Khalilur Rahman of AL, Emdadul Islam of BNP and independent candidate Bijoy Keton Barua are contesting. Contestants in Chandanaish municipality are Shiekh Tipu Chowdhury of AL, Nurul Anwar of BNP, Mohammad Ayub of LDP and Alamgir Islam Boidi of Islamic Front.
In Satkania, BNP backed lone candidate and former mayor Mohammadur Rahman is in quite uncomfortable condition to fight AL-backed lone candidate Mohammad Zobaer as Jamaat-backed Jafar Sadek is contesting there. Rafik Ahmad is in the race as independent candidate.
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