Awami League candidate advocate Azmat Ullah Khan's loss in the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) election has raised much discussion in various sectors, including among his supporters, over what led to the defeat.
According to his supporters, the main reasons include some of their number seeking votes for candidates of symbols other than the boat, and not receiving necessary financial allocations. His case was not helped by the central committee being formed with people who were on the central committee of Jahangir Alam in the last election.
Shahadat Hossain, a local trader in an area adjoining Tongi Olympia High School, said Azmat Ullah Khan's supporters sought votes for other symbols while wearing the badge of the boat symbol.
He claimed that Zayeda Khatun, mother of former Mayor Jahangir Alam, had no election agent at Tongi Olympia High School Centre. Several election agents with the boat badge were effectively acting as agents for the table clock symbol.
Another voter, Saiful Islam, said that he heard from many supporters of the boat symbol that they worked with passion.
“They did not work for money, but money is obviously a big factor. The supporters of the boat symbol received less money from the candidate than the financial requirement for the campaign days.”
As a result, some workers have secretly worked for other sides to meet financial needs on behalf of candidates of other symbols, he claimed.
Feroz Hossain of the Arichpur area in Gazipur city said that former mayor Jahangir Alam and his mother Zayeda Khatun tried and succeeded in stirring people's emotions while asking for votes.
“The expulsion of Jahangir Alam, the crying of Jahangir Alam in the media, removal from the post of mayor, these issues were brought to the forefront very tactfully,” he said.
Jahangir Alam being accused in a legal case did not have much of an impact among voters in the field, he further said.
Nazrul Islam, a supporter of Awami League in Vurulia area of the city, claimed that Jahangir Alam was elected mayor with the boat symbol in the last election. Many of those who were in the central committee at that time were also there this time.
Among them were those who were Jahangir Alam's “personal people.” They did not communicate publicly with Jahangir Alam due to party restrictions. They have been accepted by local party people for election reasons, he said.
“If the central committee formed by Jahangir Alam was completely changed by Azmat Ullah and the central committee was replaced by new faces, perhaps such results would not have come,” added Nazrul.
Former mayor Jahangir Alam, son of elected mayor Zayeda Khatun, said: “Advocate Azmat Ullah is my elder brother. From my heart, I want to work with people from all walks of life including him.”
Meanwhile, advocate Azmat Ullah Khan said the election was fair.
“I have accepted the result. If she (Zayeda) wants any kind of cooperation, if it is reasonable, then I will extend my cooperation,” he told journalists at his residence in Tongi on Friday morning.
However, he complained that there were some faults in EVMs. Many voters failed to cast their votes.
Azmat Ullah also congratulated the newly elected Mayor Zayeda Khatun after accepting the election results.
Zayeda Khatun's residence has been flooded with flowers and garlands since Friday morning by activists, supporters, and people from all walks of life.
After a hard-fought battle with Awami League-nominated Azmat Ullah Khan, Zayeda Khatun, an independent candidate and mother of former mayor Jahangir Alam, has triumphed in the mayoral race of the Gazipur City Corporation in a competitive and peaceful election.
Zayeda Khatun bagged 238,934 while Azmat Ullah got 222,737 in Thursday's close-fought election, Returning Officer Faridul Islam announced at 1:30am yesterday.