BNP looks to steal the show

BNP-backed mayoral candidates appeared to be way ahead of their AL-backed rivals in Saturday’s four city corporation elections, according to a partial count of votes cast.   Apart from Barisal, no major election-related violence was seen in Rajshahi, Khulna or Sylhet during polling hours, that continued simultaneously, from 8am to 4pm without any breaks, in the four corporations.   Hundreds of people queued up in polling centres from early in the day to cast their votes, according to election officials.    Though the deadline for campaigning was on Thursday night, both Awami League and BNP-backed mayoral candidates continued their campaigns in different parts in Barisal city until midnight on Friday, breaching the electoral code of conduct, according to our correspondents covering the election.   Rajshahi City Corporation   The BNP-led 18-party alliance-backed Mossaddeque Hossain Bulbul has taken a lead in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) polls after votes were counted in 42 out of 137 centres. Bulbul bagged 38,976 votes after counting was conducted at 42 voting centres, at 10pm when this report was filed.   His nearest contender, ruling party-backed candidate AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, has secured 26,407 votes.   But the 310 votes cast at the Government Teaching Training Centre could not be counted due to a technical glitch. Presiding officer of the centre said the results would be announced at a later time.   Some 286,917 people are expected to have cast their votes in order to elect public representatives for the RCC for the next five years. Among them 143,395 were female.    An electronic voting machine was used in three voting centres at Rajshahi Govt Laboratory High School, Laxmipur Bahumukhi Girls High School and overnment Teachers Training College.    Barisal City Corporation   BNP- backed Ahsan Habib Kamal was in leading position in Barisal City Corporation (BCC) polls after votes were counted in 54 out of a total 100 centres.   Kamal’s “pineapple” symbol bagged 40,623 votes after votes were counted in the abovementioned centres at 10pm when this report was filed.    His nearest rival AL-led 14-party-backed candidate Shawkat Hossain Hiron received 31,622 votes.   One hundred polling stations have been set up for 2,11,257 voters in BCC. A total of 116 candidates contested 30 councillor posts, while 45 vied for 10 councillor posts (reserved) in the city corporation.   Khulna City Corporation   Moniruzzaman Moni, backed by the 18-Party alliance, has apparently taken the lead in Khulna, based on votes counted in 111 out 288 polling centres.    He secured 79, 483 votes. His nearest contestant, Awami League backed mayoral candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque, received 50,256 votes.   EVMs were used in Khulna Crescent Secondary School (south), Crescent Secondary School (north), Crescent Alim Madrasa, Khulna Bidyut Kendra Secondary School and Goalpara Community Centre.   Sylhet City Corporation   The 18-Party alliance-backed Ariful Haque Chowdhury was ahead in the Sylhet City Corporation mayoral (SCC) election, with results from 88 out of 178 centers already received.He has so far received 74,994 votes.   His closest contender Metropolitan Awami League President Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, has received 50,733 votes.   EVMs were used in 20 booths of three polling centres of ward-2. Sylhet city has nine reserved and 27 general wards with 291,046 voters (157,181 male and 133,865 female). There are 128 polling centres and 896 booths.    128 polling stations had been set up for 2,91,046 voters. Three candidates contested the mayoral election, 139 for 27 councillor posts, and 35 for the councillor posts (reserved) in the SCC.