Awami League (AL) nominated mayoral candidate in Chapainawabganj municipality, Samiul Haque Liton, alleged at a post-polls public meeting yesterday afternoon that the returning officer had manipulated the result, which meant a loss for him.

The meeting was arranged by the Chapainawabganj district unit of AL at Poura Park in the town, with the president of the municipality unit of AL Iqbal Mahmud Khan Khanna in the chair.

Moinuddin Mondal, president of Chapapainawabganj district unit of AL and its secretary, lawmaker of Chapainawabganj-3 constituency Abdul Wadud, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Liton said there was a blueprint strategy to defeat him and that he would pursue legal actions with the encouragement of his supporters. He noted that although not a single candidate for councillor from Jamaat was elected in the mayoral race the Jamaat candidate was declared winner.

Liton said he would meet the prime minister regarding this and expressed his optimism that he would be the mayor.

When lawmaker Abdul Wadud started to deliver his speech, some AL men left the place shouting slogans against him. Abdul Wadud said the result might have been manipulated by design and Liton would win through a legal process.

Independent candidate Nazrul Islam, ameer of district unit Jamaat, received 31,504 votes and AL candidate Samiul Hoque Liton received 30,504 votes in the election.