Recent polls proved no vote rigging
Says prime minister
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina swears in newly elected mayor of Comilla City Corporation Monirul Haque at a function in the Prime Minister's Office yesterday. Photo: PID
Newly elected mayor of Comilla City Corporation Monirul Haque and 36 councillors were sworn in yesterday at a function at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the capital. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina administered the oath to the mayor at the International Conference Centre of the PMO. Earlier, LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam administered oath to the 36 councillors, including nine female councillors from reserve seats, at the same venue. State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak was present. Congratulating the new mayor and councilors, Sheikh Hasina urged them to carry out their responsibilities with utmost sincerity. She said that all the elections, held under the present Awami League-led grand alliance government, were free, fair and neutral, and the people were able to choose their representatives according to their liking. “We want peoples' empowerment… through this the democracy will be strengthened,” she added. Extending her thanks to the Election Commission for holding fair polls, Hasina said that her government always wants the election commission to be strengthened and work independently. She said that her government believes in people's empowerment as all power belongs to the people. “Unless there is people's empowerment, there will be no peace and democracy will not be strengthened. Thus, there will be no development in the country.” Referring to the recent polls in the Comilla City Corporation where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used in all the 65 centres, Hasina said it proved that through the use of EVM, there was no vote rigging as Monirul Haque had been elected despite opposition from his party. “It has also been proved that through EVM, opposition candidates can also be elected.” She said the most salient feature of the recent polls in the Comilla City Corporation was that it was held peacefully and freely. The prime minister said the polls in the Chittagong City Corporation and the Narayanganj City Corporation was held partially under EVMs, but this time the entire Comilla City Corporation poll was held under EVMs. Earlier, on January 5 this year, Sammilita Nagarik Committee's mayoral candidate Monirul Haque Sakku swept to victory in the maiden Comilla City Corporation polls defeating his nearest rival Afzal Khan, a ruling Awami League-backed candidate, by a huge margin of 30,148 votes. Comilla Pourashava was upgraded to City Corporation on July 10 last year.
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