Municipal Election
74 vie for mayor posts in Sylhet division today
Seventy-four people are contesting for the mayor posts in 16 municipalities under four districts of Sylhet division in today's local body election.
The number of contestants for general councillor posts is 613 while 181 others are in the race for the women's reserved seats of councillors.
In most of the municipalities, more than one candidate from both the Awami League (AL) led grand alliance and the BNP-led alliance are in the mayoral race as the two alliances failed to field single candidates.
The number of voters in the 16 municipalities is 2 lakh 96 thousand and 992.
Adequate measures, including deployment of police and Ansars, have been taken to ensure peaceful election in 186 polling centres of the 16 municipalities, officials said.
Besides, army will be deployed in Habiganj district and Border Guards of Bangladesh (former BDR) in Sunamganj district, said District Election Officer Md Shamsul Alam.
A total of 107 polling centres, including 58 out of 63 polling centres in Sunamganj, 43 out of 55 in Habiganj, 9 out of 50 in Moulvibazar and two out of 18 in Sylhet district, have been marked 'vulnerable'.
In Sunamganj district, election is being held in four municipalities.
In Sunamganj municipality, Ayub Bakht Zaglu of AL is contesting with independent runner Shergul Ahmed and Saleha Begum of Jatiya Party (JP) for the mayor post while 68 others are vying for the seats of councillors.
Mayoral candidates in Chhatak are sitting Mayor Abul Kalam Chowdhury, former mayor MA Wahid Maznu Miah and businessman Saifur Rahman Chowdhury, all belonging to AL, and independent Jahangir Alam. There are 37 contestants for councillorship.
In Jagonnathpur, Akhtaruzzaman Akhtar, lone candidate of BNP, is facing incumbent Mayor Abdul Monaf, Shah Nurul Karim, Luthfur Rahman, Anhar Miah, Shamim Ahmed and Abdul Hannan, all belonging to AL.
Forty-four others are contesting for the councillor posts.
In Derai municipality, AL's Azizur Rahman Bulbul is to face BNP's Mainuddin Chowdhury Mashuk while there are 44 candidates for councillor seats.
In Sylhet district, election will be held in two municipalities.
In Zakiganj, upazila AL president Anwar Hossain is contesting BNP faction chief and sitting Mayor Iqbal Ahmed, JP's former UP Chairman Abdul Khalique, poura BNP chief Badrul Haque Badal and poura AL president General secretary MA Hafiz. 37 others are on the run for councillorship.
In Kanaighat municipality, upazila AL President Luthfur Rahman is facing upazila BNP General Secretary Abdul Matin, Bhanulal Dass of AL, Abdul Malik of BNP, Suhel Amin of JP, Md Oliullah of Jamaat and businessman Tajuddin.
In Moulvibazar district, election is being held in five municipalities.
Incumbent Mayor of Moulvibazar municipality Foizul Karim Moyun of BNP is facing Saifur Rahman and Nahid Ahmed of AL and independent Muhibur Rahman for mayorship.
In Kulaura, incumbent Mayor BNP's Kamal Uddin Ahmed is facing Shafi Alam Yunus and Md Shafiul Alam Shafi of AL, Md Matiur Rahman of BNP and independent Enamul Islam.
In Srimangal municipality, incumbent Mayor Md Ahad Miah, also a former lawmaker, is contesting former municipal chairman MA Rahim of AL, former chairman Mohsin Miah Modhu of BNP, Bhubaneshwar Purkayostha, Abdul Momin Tapader, Khokan Singha and Nazrul Islam. However, Ahad Miah and his nephew Modhu Miah are seen as the main contestants.
In Kamolganj municipality, seven persons including incumbent Mayor Hasin Afroze Chowdhury of BNP, municipal BNP President Abu Ibrahim Zamshed and upazila BNP General Secretary Iqbal Parvez Chowdhury Shahin, upazila AL Vice-president Aslam Iqbal Milon, municipality AL General Secretary Afsar Saleh and Syed Mohammad Ibrahim of Jamaat and Md Muhibur Rahman of Al-Islah are in the mayoral run.
In Barlekha, Rafiqul Islam of AL is contesting with Fokhrul Islam of BNP, Khijir Ahmed of Jamaat and independent candidates Abdun Nur and Khalilur Rahman.
Election is being held in five municipalities of Habiganj district.
In Habiganj municipality, district BNP General Secretary and incumbent Mayor GK Gous is facing municipality AL President Md Sharif Ullah.
In Shaistaganj, incumbent Mayor Md Farid Ahmed Oli of BNP is contesting with upazila AL General Secretary Abdur Rashid Talukder Iqbal and former municipality chairman Md Abdur Razzaque Raza Miah of AL while 53 people are contesting for the councillor seats.
In Nabiganj municipality, incumbent Mayor Tofazzal Islam Chowdhury of AL is facing Kripashindhu Roy Chowdhury of AL and Abdus Shahid Golap of BNP while 47 persons are contesting for the councillor posts.
Mayoral contestants in Madhabpur municipality are incumbent Mayor and upazila AL President MM Muslim, Md Hamdu Miah and Habibur Rahman Manik of BNP and Hirendra Lal Saha of BNP. There are 40 councillor candidates.
In Chunarughat municipality, mayoral candidates are incumbent administrator of the municipality Md Ali, also general secretary of upazila BNP, upazila AL Secretary Md Abu Taher, Haji Abdus Salam Talukder of JP, independent SK Iftekharul Gani, Md Siraj Ali Mir of BNP and AM Yahia Talukder of AL. Sixty-three persons are contesting for councillor posts.
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