Leaders of the ruling Awami League and its associated bodies won the chairman post in most of the upazilas in the first phase of upazila parishad elections held on Wednesday amid low turnout and boycott by the most opposition parties.
The average voter turnout was 36.18 per cent in the elections, according to the Election Commission.
Khetlal upazila in Jaipurhat district had the highest voter turnout of 73.16 per cent, while Mirsarai in Chattogram had the lowest 17.17 per cent turnout.
According to New Age correspondents across the country, at least 105 AL and its affiliated candidates or relatives of lawmakers won in the first phase of upazila elections when voting was held in 139 upazilas.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders have won in eight upazilas. BNP suspended the party leaders who contested the election as it boycotted the voting like in the January 7 general election.
BNP supporters won in Kamalnagar of Lakshmipur, Gomastapur and Bholahat in Chapainawabganj, Gazipur Sadar, Haluaghat of Mymensingh, Bandarban Sadar, Jhinaigati of Sherpur, and Biswanath of Sylhet, according to New Age correspondents.
The JP candidate won in Chilmari, Kurigram. A suspended leader of Islami Andolon Bangladesh won in Ramgait, Lakshmipur. Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti leaders won in Rangamati Sadar and Barkal.
Most of the remaining upazilas were taken by the leaders of the Awami League, its associate bodies, or their relatives.
Two of them won uncontested in Saghata of Gaibandha, and Singra of Natore.
In Dhaka, elections were held in three upazilas—Dohar, Nawabganj, and Keraniganj—and all of them were taken by Awami League leaders.
‘All three successful chairman candidates in Dhaka hold an official portfolio in the Awami League,’ AL Dhaka district general secretary Paniruzzaman Tarun told New Age.
District AL leader advocate Avnimohan Das and upazila Awami League general secretary Pradeep Roy have been elected as chairman in Derai and Sulla upazilas of Sunamganj, respectively.
AL leaders Mohammad Riaz Uddin, Mohammad Aminul Islam Sarkar, and Md Khalilur Rahman Siraji won the chairman post in Sirajganj Sadar, Belkuchi, and Kazipur upazilas of the district.
Although the AL president and prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, directed party lawmakers and ministers not to field close relatives in the upazila election race, many defied the instruction.
AL presidium member Shahjahan Khan’s son Md Ashibur Rahman Khan won in Madaripur Sadar upazila and AL lawmaker Ekramul Hoque Ekram’s son Shabab Chowdhury won from Subarnachar upazila in Noakhali district.
The AL Gazaria upazila unit general secretary, Mansur Ahmed Khan Jinnah, was elected as chairman of the upazila in Munshiganj district.
Awami League did not allocate its official party symbol boat to any candidate in the election.
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