Khulna and Barisal Division Mayorial Election

[eastwatch]

Peaceful voting in Khulna, Barisal

Thursday, January 13, 2011
Peaceful voting in Khulna, Barisal

Women on Thursday waiting in a queue in front of a polling booth at Kaliganj municipality of Kaliganj upazila in Jhenidah to cast their votes. Photo: Star/Rashedul Hasan and Azibor Rahman
Star Online ReportVoting in 49 municipalities of Khulna and Barisal divisions is going on almost peacefully on Thursday amid enthusiasm and festive mood.

The voting started at about 8:00am, which will continue till 4:00pm without any break. Tight security has been taken in the areas to avoid any untoward situation.

In Barisal, Hawladar Nurul Islam, a BNP-backed mayoral candidate of Gournadi municipality, boycotted the ongoing poll claiming that the local Awami League activists attacked his agents at the centre.

At a press conference at his Cosba residence, Hawladar announced to boycott the election saying that AL activists attacked his election coordinator Engineer Sobhan and ousted his polling agents from the centre. He informed the matter to Upazila Nitbahi Officer (UNO) Jahangir Hossain.

Meanwhile, police charged batons when the supporters of two mayoral candidates clashed at MA Latif Madrasa centre in Banaripara in the morning. The clash ensued when Montu Lal Kundu, a mayoral candidate, brought allegation against upazila chairman Faruk Ahmed of motivating voters to vote for an Awami League-backed mayoral candidate.

Besides, police arrested two people from a centre of Banaripara pourasava at about 10:45am for bribing people to cast their votes for their candidates. They were produced before the judicial magistrate.

Councillor candidate of Mehendiganj municipality Abdul Motaleb was arrested on charge of casting vote in his favour after snatching ballot papers from the voters.

He was arrested from Char Hogla Kowmi Madrasa Centre-1 at about 1:00pm, Julfikar Md Gazzali, officer-in-charge of Mehendiganj Police Station, confirmed the incident to The Daily Star.

About 50 percent vote were cast at Kaunia Girls' School centre till 11:00am, presiding officer Sohrab Hossain said.

Mongla police detained three people and a woman as they were convincing voters at Mongla Bandar Dock Shramik Primary School centre, reports our Bagerhat correspondent.

A total of 2,92,369 voters is expected to cast their votes in 197 polling centres in 19 municipalities in Barisal for electing 18 mayors, 171 general ward councillors and 57 female councillors in reserved seats.

Some 7,13,528 voters will vote in 403 polling centres of Khulna division where 144 candidates are contesting for the mayoral posts.

Our Kushtia correspondent reports, a mobile court fined a man Tk 5,000 on charge of buying votes at a polling centre in Khoksa upazila.

Court sources said Forjur Rahman was buying votes for a candidate of Khoksa municipality at Janipur Pilot High School center.

On information, the mobile court led by Daulatpur Upazila Nirbahi Offcier (UNO) Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal rushed to the spot at about 11:00am and arrested Firojur. The mobile court realised Tk 3,000 from him immediately. The UNO said Forjur will be released after the election.

Our staff correspondent, who is visiting five upazilas of Jhenidah and Jessore Sadar upazila, reports that polling was continuing peacefully there. Presence of voters at the poll centres was thin in the morning due to cold weather but later, people were rushing to the polling stations with great enthusiasm.

The government announced Thursday a public holiday in 49 municipality areas of the two divisions. Voters of 72 municipalities of Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions have already elected their mayors and councillors on Wednesday. BNP backed mayoral candidates dominated the battle of ballots.

Elections to 122 municipalities of Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chittagong divisions will be held on Monday and Tuesday.

Related News
Polls in 19 Barisal divn municipalities today - Print
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[eastwatch]

BARISAL-KHULNA POLLS AL takes lead winning 22 | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

BARISAL-KHULNA POLLS
AL takes lead winning 22
Thu, Jan 13th, 2011 11:48 pm

Dhaka, Jan 13 (bdnews24.com) — Pro-Awami League contenders have won in 22 out of 49 municipalities in Khulna and Barisal divisions while BNP in 14.

Returning officers announced the complete results on Thursday midnight. They said renegade candidates of the ruling party won seven while BNP rebel candidates three. Three independent mayor candidates also came out successful in the mayoral race.

However, no candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party could come out successful in any of the municipalities in the two divisions.

Voting closed in 49 municipalities of Barisal and Khulna at 4pm on Thursday. The results started coming in around 7:30pm.

"We're happy. Overall, the polls were peaceful," election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain told a post-polls brief at the Election Commission secretariat. He said the voting of a centre was cancelled at Bhola's Borhanuddin and another at Barisal's Mehendiganj after irregularities were found there.

These municipalities have a total of 106,357 voters.

KHULNA DIVISION

Of the 30 municipalities in the division, BNP-backed aspirants were ahead by winning in 14.

Awami League-backed candidates have become mayors in Kushtia's Bheramara, Kumarkhali, Mirpur, Jessore's Benapole, Jhenidah's Harinakundu and Kaliganj, Khulna's Paikgachha and Bagerhat Sadar municipalities.

Meanwhile, its rebel mayor aspirants won in Gangni of Meherpur, Jhenidah's Shailakupa, Morelganj of Bagerhat and Kalia of Narail.

Pro-BNP candidates were elected in Kushtia's Khoksa, Jessore's Chougachha, Keshabpur, Monirampur, Nowapara and Bagharpara, Jhenidah's Kotchandpur, Mongla Port of Bagerhat, Chuadanga's Alamdanga, Darshana, Satkhira Sadar and Narail Sadar municipalities.

BNP's rebel hopefuls won in Moheshpur of Jhenidah, Jibonnagar of Chuadanga and Kolaroa of Satkhira.

The independent candidates came out successful in Chalna of Khulna and Meherpur Sadar municipalities.

BARISAL DIVISION

In Barisal's 19 municipalities, Awami League-supported candidates won in 14.

Pro-Awami League candidates won the mayoral runs in Bhola's Lalmohon, Borhanuddin, Patuakhali's Sadar and Kalapara, Barisal's Muladi, Banaripara, Bakerganj, Gornadi, Mehendiganj, Barguna Sadar and Betagi, Pirojpur's Sadar, Mothbaria and Swarupkathi municipalities.

Rebel Awami Leaguers won in Bhola Sadar, Doulatkhan and Barguna's Amtali municipalities.

The only winning BNP-backed candidate came from Jhalkathi's Nolchhati municipality.

Barguna's Patharghata polls were won by an independent mayor hopeful.

 

[integra]

The north and south seems to be divided on political matters. Any thoughts?

 

[eastwatch]

AL favourites back in South

Friday, January 14, 2011
Front PageWarriors Municipal Polls
AL favourites back in South
Sheikh Hasina directs to expel AL rebel candidates from party

The visibility is poor, the cold is numbing, yet the enthusiasm is high. This photo was taken yesterday at 8:30am in front of Sankarpasha Govt Primary School polling centre of Nalchhity municipality in Jhalakathi.

Star Report Awami League-backed candidates fought back in the battle of ballots by winning the majority of municipal mayoral posts in Barisal and Khulna divisions yesterday, a day after suffering setback in the divisions of Rajshahi and Rangpur.

In the divisions' 49 municipalities, AL-supported candidates picked up 22 mayoral posts while BNP favourites bagged 14.

Dissidents from AL got seven seats while BNP's rebels won three. Three independent contestants also emerged victorious.

In 19 municipalities of Barisal, only one BNP favourite scored a win.

Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League took a hardline about the dissidents who ran without the party backing and are blamed by its top brass for Wednesday's downfall.

AL President Sheikh Hasina last night directed her party colleagues to expel the rebel candidates, two senior leaders told The Daily Star.

The rebels, who even won in the south, are likely to face the same action.

In 72 municipalities of Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, the ruling party-backed contenders secured only 18 mayoral posts while BNP-backed candidates grabbed 33 posts.

Jamaat-e-Islami that supported its candidates in a number of municipalities, including of Kolaroya in Satkhira, Kotchandpur in Jhenidah and Kumarkhali in Kushtia, lost the elections.

Candidates backed by Jatiya Party, a key ally to AL, contested in a number of municipalities in Barisal and Khulna divisions, but failed to win any.

The election day was peaceful, with no report of major violence.

After the polling hour was over yesterday, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said, “We are satisfied.”

He, however, admitted some problems in Gaurnadi and Mehendiganj of Barisal. Voting at a poling station in Borhanuddin of Bhola and another in Mehendiganj has been cancelled.

The main opposition BNP, which on several occasions expressed doubt about free and fair municipal polls, also termed yesterday's events largely peaceful.

It also demanded re-election for wards 7, 8 and 9 of Swarupkathi municipality in Pirojpur, alleging its polling agents had been beaten and driven out from polling stations.

In the afternoon, BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan at a media briefing also demanded re-polls for the two municipalities of Barisal.

He feared an election rigging by archrival AL.

At the beginning hours yesterday, the voter turnout was thin due to winter chill. The scene changed as soon as the fog began to disappear, report our correspondents.

Voters cast their ballots to choose 49 mayors and 568 councillors. Starting at 8:00am, the polling continued till 4:00pm without any break.

The elections were held in 602 polling stations where 311 mayoral candidates contended.

Security was tightened in the areas.

In Barisal, Howlader Nurul Islam and Sahabuddin Himu, running in Gaurnadi and Mehendiganj respectively with backing from BNP, boycotted the polls.

Nurul Islam in a press briefing at noon at his Gaurnadi residence claimed that he, his wife and his chief election agent Abdus Sobhan were forced to leave Torki School vote centre by AL cadres.

Himu told reporters that supporters of AL-backed councillor candidate Saiful Islam vandalised their election camps and drove away some voters.

Both Nurul and Himu demanded a re-poll, reports our Barisal correspondent.

At Gaurnadi, the supporters of AL-backed mayoral candidate and Workers' Party-backed contestant started clashing around 11:30am. Police brought the situation under control immediately.

Police also detained two youths for distributing money to voters at a polling centre of Banaripara.

Three Bangladesh Chhatra League members were detained for violating electoral rules while 12 outsiders were held from two houses in Bagerhat Wednesday midnight on suspicion of preparing to create unrest, our Benapole correspondent reports.

A youth was sentenced to one year in jail by a Mobile Court for violating polls code.

Our Patuakhali correspondent reports recovery of 100 ballot papers, which were sealed beforehand for a ruling party-backed candidate in Borhanuddin municipality, from a Kotoba polling centre.

Another mobile court also sentenced a man for six months in jail for violating electoral rules in Darshana municipality.

Yesterday was announced a public holiday in 49 municipality areas of the two divisions.

Elections in 122 municipalities of Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong divisions will be held on Monday and Tuesday.

 

[idune]

The north and south seems to be divided on political matters. Any thoughts?

Traditionally Awami league is strong in Faridpur and in some area of Barisal. Rest of South west has broad BNP support. But Awami league got desperate after yesterdays results. I am not sure Hasina already thrown out some activists and done so quickly and publicly.


BNP candidate had been withdrawn from 2 seats in Barisal as Awami league riiged the poll there. So in fair count there you can discount those two seats from Awami League.

Also when I talked to a reporter who covering election in Khulna told me - from outside polling center looked peacefull but Awami agents were inside the polling center checking every one ballot who they have voted. People with fear for their life did not vote the opposition candidate even that was their intention. And in close contested seat Awami league only needed to alter results of few center.

So all in all at least 7-8 seats were hijacked by Awami League using various means.

 

[eastwatch]

The north and south seems to be divided on political matters. Any thoughts?

Although posters here are celebrating a BNP comeback, but, local elections are fought really on local matters and how the winners will deliver on their promises to the electorates.

The old Barisal, Khulna and also Faridpur Districts were basically Awami League supporting areas. However, they had moved a little towards BNP when people thought of this Party as patriot and were not willing to compromise when dealing with India.

However, this position was changed because people, in general, found BNP to be corrupt and, therefore, non-patriots. The situation is again changing in favour of BNP, because people think, AL is inept, and are non-patriot because they lean towards India.

The students' organ of AL, namely Chattro League guys are without discipline, but are very strong in the south. Their forceful election campaigns may have resulted in lower voter turnout. I have not read any newspaper reporting on voter turnout. Lower voter turnout may mean that Chattro League activists have prevented many voters from going to the polling stations.

Another reason may be there are too many Hindu voters in Khulna and western Barisal who traditionally favour AL although they suffer at the hands of this party.

Anyway, BNP is coming back to its original position little by little. There will be more local elections during the coming few days. Let us see the results. A strong BNP is needed in order to protect the country from India-leaning policy of AL.

 

[integra]

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[Al-zakir]

Another reason may be there are too many Hindu voters in Khulna and western Barisal who traditionally favour AL although they suffer at the hands of this party.

Thank you for the history lesson. I wasn't aware of this thus explain the outcome of the election favoring Awami. It's funny how Hindu support Awami league even though they get robbed during Awami regime. Recently some thieves stole large amount of golds from few Mandir in Capital city.

Anyway, BNP is coming back to its original position little by little. There will be more local elections during the coming few days. Let us see the results. A strong BNP is needed in order to protect the country from India-leaning policy of AL.

Lets agree to disagree.