AL wins 1st polls under new EC

The ruling Awami League candidate yesterday won the polls to Rangamati's Baghaichhari municipality, the first under the newly formed Election Commission.

AL's Jafor Ali Khan bagged 3,798 votes while independent candidate Azizur Rahman Aziz ranked second getting 2,125.

BNP candidate Omar Ali won 1,798 votes, according to the returning officer. 

No incident of irregularities or violence was reported during voting hours from 8:00am to 4:00pm though Omar and Aziz brought allegation of “subtle rigging”. 

This correspondent visited nine polling stations and found a large numbers of voters were waiting in queues for casting votes.

“We are pleased to see a peaceful election atmosphere,” said Shantimoy Chakma, a voter at Babupara Community Centre, around 11:00am.

In the election, three candidates vied for the mayoral post and 31 for 12 posts of councillor.

AL's Jafor Ali told reporters that it was a peaceful election and the security measures were satisfactory.

However, BNP's Omar Ali and independent candidate Azizur Rahman while talking to journalists after voting alleged that “subtle rigging” took place in some polling stations.

Amir Khosru, additional superintendant of police in Rangamati, said the election was held peacefully and all parties and people cooperated. 

President Abdul Hamid on February 6 appointed KM Nurul Huda as the new chief election commissioner. The new commission led by Huda took oath on February 15.

This commission will oversee the 2019 national polls.

A series of elections are scheduled to be held in the coming weeks.

Parliamentary by-polls to Gaibandha-1 constituency will be held on March 22. The by-elections to Sunamganj-2, the constituency that fell vacant after the death of AL leader Suranjit Sengupta, and the elections to Comilla City Corporation would take place soon.