Both Liton, Bulbul confident about win

Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul (L) and Khairuzzaman Liton embrace each other after casting their votes at Satellite Town High School centre in Rajshahi city Saturday morning. 

Both the Awami league and the 18-party-backed candidates for Rajshahi city mayor's office are confident about winning the elections. "I am fully confident that I will win," Awami League favourite Khairuzzaman Liton told reporters after casting his vote at Satellite Town High School centre around 9:00am.

He however hinted not accepting a defeat unchallenged. "If any kind of disaster takes place, we will investigate to find whether neutrality was maintained in the voting process," the immediate past mayor said. Earlier around 8:45am, 18-party-backed mayoral candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul reached the same polling centre to cast his vote.

Expressing hope about winning the election, Bulbul said: "I'm cent percent certain about my win." "There is no possibility of any tragedy to happen," he said replying to a query. "If any such situation takes place, we will decide later what to do." A number of 137 polling stations have been set up for 2,86,917 voters in Rajshahi.

Of those, 104 have been considered as vulnerable. A total of 155 candidates are vying for 30 councillor posts while 66 for 10 councillor posts (reserved) in the Rajshahi city corporation.