She defeated BNP candidate Sakhawat Hossain Khan by over 79,567 votes and also won her rival’s neighbourhood with 1,930 votes, in one of the most peaceful, incident-free elections Bangladesh has ever seen.
Although many had feared violence because of the “Shamim Osman factor,” the NCC elections only saw one attempted fake vote casting and three people being fined for minor breach of code of conduct.
Returning Officer Md Nuruzzaman Talukder announced the unofficial results at the election control room, saying that the voter turnout was 62.33% at 174 polling centres combined.
Two election monitoring NGOs – Democracywatch and Brotee – expressed their satisfaction over the polls.
I dedicate this victory to Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina
- Selina Hayat Ivy
The two main mayoral candidates from the BNP and the Awami League, election observers and the Election Commission said they were satisfied by how the election was conducted.
Ivy cast her vote at Sishubagh School polling centre while BNP candidate Shakhawat cast his vote at the Adarsha School centre saying he will accept the results if the election was fair and impartial.
There was a large presence of law enforcers with around 9,500 officials deployed to ensure safety and security.
I have information that the votes have been subtly manipulated
- Shakhawat Hossain Khan
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad briefed the press after the polls closed at 4pm: “The election was held peacefully and we have began to count the votes, the security provided has let people cast their votes without intimidation and fear.”
The NCC elections were held so peacefully with such a festive atmosphere that it has set the bar very high for the ruling Awami League for all upcoming elections to be held in such a free and fair manner.
Peaceful electionDuring the election yesterday the roads in Narayanganj where full of voters creating a festive atmosphere with the queues starting at poll centres as early as 8am.
Jahangir Alam, presiding officer of Safura Khatun Pilot High School polling station under Ward 6, said he had never seen such a peaceful election in his life.
Similar remarks were made by Centre 15 Presiding Officer Akmal Hossain as he told the Dhaka Tribune that the election went smoothly and was very peaceful.
However, he said that voters faced some difficulties in the morning finding their polling booths at the centre because there was a huge rush of voters.
The scene around all the 174 polling centres was very similar.
The Awami League and BNP activists and supporters of the councillor candidates gathered in small number at different places and campaigned for their candidates with no incident of voter intimidation being reported.
Teams of mobile courts run by magistrates and of law enforcers monitored the polling centres.
Shahzadi Tahmina, a judicial magistrate, told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not find any case of violation of electoral code of conduct when she visited three polling centres at 3pm.
All reports indicated that the NCC elections have been one of the most successfully run polls Bangladesh has seen. This has set the bar very high for all the upcoming elections in the country.
Dhaka Tribune Narayanganj Correspondent Tanveer Hossain, staff reporters Ashif Islam Shaon, Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique, Manik Miazee and Nure Alam Durjoy and staff photojournalists Rajib Dhar and Mahmud Hossain Opu contributed to this report
However, he said that voters faced some difficulties in the morning finding their polling booths at the centre because there was a huge rush of voters.
The scene around all the 174 polling centres was very similar.
The Awami League and BNP activists and supporters of the councillor candidates gathered in small number at different places and campaigned for their candidates with no incident of voter intimidation being reported.
Teams of mobile courts run by magistrates and of law enforcers monitored the polling centres.
Shahzadi Tahmina, a judicial magistrate, told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not find any case of violation of electoral code of conduct when she visited three polling centres at 3pm.
All reports indicated that the NCC elections have been one of the most successfully run polls Bangladesh has seen. This has set the bar very high for all the upcoming elections in the country.
Dhaka Tribune Narayanganj Correspondent Tanveer Hossain, staff reporters Ashif Islam Shaon, Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique, Manik Miazee and Nure Alam Durjoy and staff photojournalists Rajib Dhar and Mahmud Hossain Opu contributed to this report