A politician to emulate

The Narayanganj mayoral election concluded with results that did not come as a surprise to many. Political analysts are apt to believe that it was the good image of Selina Hayat Ivy as a politician that contributed to her winning a third straight term as Narayanganj mayor. She defeated her rival, Taimur Alam Khandakar, by a big margin.

Ivy, backed by the ruling Awami League, maintained her poise and posture to win the hearts of voters. In an environment where it is easy to get allured by corrupt practices, she carefully stayed away from any wrongdoing and concentrated on people's welfare. The people of Narayanganj talk about the developments done during her tenures as the mayor, such as improving road conditions. Her unwavering stand against criminals and social violence has been praised by all quarters. This time around, she has promised to build a green city. Prominent figures in the city speak about her acceptability to all kinds of people as a plus point.

It may be mentioned that the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) went to the polls for the first time in 2011. Ivy clinched the mayoral post by beating the then Awami League-backed candidate by more than 100,000 votes. The next election was held in 2016, when she defeated a BNP-backed candidate and became the mayor for the second consecutive time. And after her third victory on January 16, 2022, she vowed to "work tirelessly" for the people for the next five years. Independent observers mention her pro-people stance throughout her political career and want to give her full credit for the sterling achievement.

Invalidating fear and speculations of violence, the NCC election was held in a festive and peaceful manner. History shows that almost all the local government polls are tainted by irregularities ranging from bribing voters, snatching ballot papers and intimidating voters, to creating panic through brandishing lethal weapons. It is sad yet true that scores of people were killed across the country in clashes taking place even during the ongoing union parishad polls.

Against such a backdrop, it came as a relief that there were no reports of irregularities or violence anywhere during the Narayanganj polls. Voters turned up in good numbers. According to the Election Commission, turnout was 56.25 percent. We believe the Election Commission deserves kudos for holding a free and fair election. However, it needs to be said that some voters, especially elderly people and female voters, lodged complaints regarding issues with fingerprints while using the EVMs. Glitches and a lack of experience in handling EVMS also slowed down polling at some centres. We believe that thorough training on the use of EVMs for the Election Commission officials is due before holding future elections.

We congratulate Selina Hayat Ivy on her spectacular win and believe that the Election Commission can hold a free and fair election if it wants to.