Awami League loyalists won big in Monday’s fifth phase upazila elections bagging chairman posts in 51 upazilas to take the overall lead to 62 against the BNP favourites in all the five phases as their total tally now stands at 220.
In the fifth phase polls that wrapped up the staggered local body elections, the chairman candidates loyal to BNP won in 12 upazilas while that of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami three, AL rebels three, BNP rebel one, JSS two and UPDF one.
Outraged by the results, BNP leaders accused the government of indulging in ‘daring vote dacoity’, and defended their January 5 national election boycott saying that no fair election is possible under the current regime.
With Monday’s election results, the total number of chairman candidates loyal to BNP is now 158 –- 44 in the first phase, 52 in the second phase, 28 in the third phase and 22 in the fourth phase.
Awami League’s favourites’ phase-wise breakup: 34 in the first phase, 45 in the second phase, 38 in the third phase and 52 in the fourth phase.
Jamaat-backed candidates secured a total of 32 chairman posts in the five phases of the upazila polls while that of Jatiya Party (Ershad) three.
The third and fourth phases of the local body elections — 81 upazilas in the third phase and 91 upazilas in the fourth phase — saw massive violence that left six people dead.
Though the multi-phased fourth upazila elections came to a close on Monday with the fifth phase one, elections will be held in a few more upazilas soon.
According to the unofficial results of the fifth phase elections, candidates backed by the ruling party won in Domar upazila of Nilphamari, Fulchhari of Gaibandha, Shahjadpur of Sirajganj, Bera of Pabna, Alamdanga and Sadar of Chuadanga, Debhata, Sadar and Tala of Satkhira, Bamna, Patharghata, Sadar and Amtali of Barguna, Ghatail, Mirzapur and Gopalpur of Tangail, Madarganj of Jamalpur, Gafargaon and Nandail of Mymensingh, Ashtagram and Pakundia of Kishoreganj, Tongibari, Sirajdikhan and Louhajang of Munshiganj, Kaliganj of Gazipur, Manohardi of Narsingdi, Rupganj and Araihazar of Narayanganj, Goalanda of Rajbari, Beanibazar of Sylhet, Juri and Rajnagar of Moulvibazar, Muradnagar and Chandina of Comilla, Chhagalnaiya of Feni, Subarnachar and Hatia of Noakhali, Raipur of Laxmipur, Sandwip of Chittagong, Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar, and Rajasthali of Rangamati.
The BNP loyalists came out winners in Biral, Parbatipur and Hakimpur of Dinajpur, Trishal of Mymensingh, Biswambhapur of Sunamganj, Ashuganj of Brahmanbaria, Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar and Langadu of Rangamati.
Meanwhile, three Jamaat-backed chairman contestants won in Poba of Rajshahi, Sundarganj of Gaibandha and Cox’s Bazar sadar, while an AL rebel in Dashmina of Patuakhali, a BNP rebel in Tahirpur of Sunamganj, JSS-backed one in Bilaichari of Rangamati, and UPDF-blessed contender in Dighinala of Khagrachhari.
Elections in 73 upazila parishads across 34 districts were held earlier in the day amid reports of various irregularities and election boycott by a number of chairman and vice-chairman candidates, particularly by that of BNP loyalists.
At least 22 chairman candidates, mostly BNP-backed ones, boycotted the elections in Amtali, Bamna and Patharghata of Barguna, Tala and Debhata of Satkhira, Rupganj and Araihazar of Narayanganj, Sadar and Alamganda of Chuadanga, Kalapara of Patuakhali, Ashtagram of Kishoreganj, Madarganj of Jamalpur, Chandina of Comilla, and Sadar of Tangail.
Meanwhile, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mobarak claimed that the elections were free, fair and peaceful.
Addressing a press briefing on Monday evening at the Election Commission Secretariat, he also said, “Today’s (Monday’s) elections were marked by less violence compared to the polls of previous four phases. We received no report that anyone was killed in polls violence.”
A total of 1,056 candidates contested the elections for 219 posts, including 362 for chairman posts and 418 for vice chairman positions. The vice chairman posts for women had 276 candidates, said the EC secretariat.
The 73 upazilas have 13,891,751 voters, including 6,930,269 men and 6,961,482 women under 5,534 polling stations.
In the previous four phases of the upazila polls, Awami League favourites won 167 upazilas against their arch-rival BNP-blessed candidates.
Source: UNBConnect
