Bangladesh News

As many as 36 out of 46 mayoral contestants in four city corporations lost their deposits and almost all of those who did not forfeit the sum belong to either Awami League (AL) or BNP.

According to political observers, results of Monday’s contest confined to the old hands backed by AL and BNP show that voters in the four cities and nine municipalities have little interest in “new leadership”, a buzzword since the changeover of January 11 last year.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said many people thought that fresh faces would come out of the elections, but the voters chose the ones who have been around for quite a long time now.

The candidates from AL and BNP shared most of the votes while those who were relatively new and outside the two parties fared too badly to retrieve their deposits.

According to the election laws, mayoral contestants will forfeit their deposits (Tk 10,000) if they fail to poll one-eighth of the vote.

Of the 10 mayoral candidates who managed to secure deposits, four were supported by AL and won the polls while five were backed by BNP and finished second in the race.

The other one was from Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and he surprised many by the fight he gave in Barisal City Corporation (BCC) polls.

Sardar Sarfuddin Ahmed Santu of PDP was once a leader of Jatiya Party. Only recently he joined the PDP, floated last year reportedly with the blessing of the post-1/11 establishment.

Of the mayoral winners, Badaruddin Ahmed Kamran, detained on corruption charges, won by a landslide to be the mayor of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) for the second term.

It was an easy ride also for Manikganj municipality’s incumbent mayor Ramjan Ali, another detained AL leader re-elected.

Asked about the efforts to raise awareness among people so they choose honest and competent persons to represent them, CEC Huda said the voters had to pick from the candidates available.

“The Election Commission did look to have honest and competent ones running in the polls. However, we must accept the voters’ verdict,” he said.

Huda said the EC would now work to correct whatever problems it experienced in the Monday’s polls to ensure no question arises over the conduct of the all-important parliamentary election.

Meanwhile, political analysts said the peaceful conduct of Monday’s polls, first since reconstitution of the EC in February last year, shows that the commission is quite capable of making good on its pledge to hold elections in a free and fair manner.

In analysis of election results, some of them noted that the abysmal performance of BNP even in its traditional strongholds might be a reflection of public disapproval of the way it ruled the country between 2001 and 2006.

FROM RESULT SHEETS
In Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), the total number of votes cast was 2,11,231. As per the election laws, a contestant had to score 26,403 votes to avoid forfeiture of deposit.

Only two of the 15 candidates have been able to escape the forfeiture. The winner, AL-backed AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, bagged 98,360 votes while his nearest contender Mosaddek Hossain of BNP got 74,550 votes.

Of those who lost deposits, Akhtaruzzaman Bablu polled 883 votes, Nasir Ahmed Bidet 1,008, Farman Ali 351, Abul Kalam Azad 376, Abdul Khaleq 299, Abdul Matin Khan 1,161, Enamul Haque 841, Durul Huda 1,789, Masudul Haque Dulu 5,404, Raihanur Rahman 1,457, Ruhul Quddus Tunu 404, Rezaun Nabi 12,721 and Siddiqur Rahman got 9,406 votes.

In Khulna City Corporation (KCC), the votes cast totalled 3, 10,742 and candidates there had to get 38,842 to get back their deposits.

Only two of six did not face forfeiture. Of them, AL-supported Talukder Abdul Khaleque polled 1,57,812 votes while his closest follower Moniruzzaman Moni from BNP got 1,31,976 votes.

Of the contenders losing deposits, M Firoz Ahmed managed to get 14,223 votes, SS Moslemuddin 1,027, Enayet Ali 3,077 and Sheikh Taiabur Rahman got 589 votes.

A total of 1,47,066 votes were cast in the BCC polls. The number of votes that a contestant had to pull to get back deposit was 18,383.

Only four of 10 candidates could avert loss of deposits. Of them, AL-backed candidate Shawkat Hossain scored 46, 796 votes, and PDP candidate Sardar Sarfuddin Santu who came out second bagged 46, 208 votes.

BNP-backed candidate Ahsan Habib Kamal got 26,416 votes while the dissident BNP candidate Ebadul Haque Chan won 19,626 votes.

Of those who lost deposits, Abul Kalam Azad managed only 885 votes, Kabir Uddin 672, Zahurul Haque 148, Enayet Pir Khan 2,114, Rafiqul Islam 281 and Syed Abdullah Sahid got 807 votes.

In Sylhet City Corporation, a candidate had to secure 24,045 votes to get back deposit since the total number of votes cast there was 1,92,362.

Only two of 15 contenders in the KCC polls won back their deposits. Of them, AL candidate and incumbent SCC mayor Kamran bagged 1,15,436 votes and his rival AFM Kamal from BNP scored 32, 097 votes.

Dissident BNP candidate MA Haque got 23,487 votes, Abdul Mukit Khan 2,077, Abdus Samad Nazrul 947, Sirajul Islam 2,565, Kutub Uddin Ahmed 207, Kazi Kamal Ahmed 730, Bashir Ahmed 396, Babrul Hossain Bablu 3,692, Kunu Mia 2,369, Salauddin Rimon 470, Syed Ali Afsar 848, Syed Muhibur Rahman 944 and Syed Habibur Rahman Hiron got 354 votes.