Voting in the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) election ended amid some stray incidents. According to the latest news, Awami League mayoral candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury and most of the councillor candidates of the party were on the way to a landslide victory.
Till filing this report at 9:35pm on Wednesday, in some 200 polling centres Awami League backed Mayor candidate bagged 77,232 votes while BNP candidate got only 10,598 votes.
On Wednesday, voting began at 8am in the morning and continued until 4pm in the afternoon. The voting atmosphere was heated all day as supporters of contesting candidates clashed in many places across the port city. Two councillor candidates were detained and voting was postponed in two centers of a ward due to clashes.
Awami League mayoral candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury cast his vote at 9 am at Bahaddar Hat Ekhlasur Rahman Government Primary School centre while his main rival mayoral candidate Dr Shahadat Hossain cast his vote at Bakalia B-ED College Center.
After casting his vote, Awami League mayoral candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said, "It is a good election. People are casting their votes in a festive atmosphere."
Expressing the hope for his victory, he further said, "I will accept the people’s verdict."
After casting his vote BNP mayoral candidate Shahadat Hossain expressed his dissatisfaction over the voting environment to the journalists.
He alleged that the police and the Awami League men blocked the entry of the agents of paddy sheaf symbol to most of the centers. He also mentioned that it is a joke in the name of elections.
Among the senior Awami League leaders, Deputy Minister of Education Barrister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel cast his vote at the MES School Center in the city's Anderkilla ward.
After casting his vote, Nowfel told the journalists that there was no chance to manipulate vote in the EVM voting system.
Shortly after 7 AM, supporters of two rival councillor candidates clashed in front of the USEP School Center in No 13 Pahartali Ward.
There were also clashes in Kattli, Lalkhan Bazar, Patharghata , and Firoz Shah Colony areas of the city. At least 50 people were injured in the clashes, 35 of whom were admitted to CMCH.
After 12 noon, the Awami League-BNP clashed at the Sobahaniya Madrasah Center in Patharghata Ward. Hundreds of BNP supporters entered the polling booths and vandalised Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at the center.
Then the members of law enforcing agencies detained BNP nominated councillor candidate Ismail Hossain Bali.
Clashes erupted in Lalkhan Bazar area at 7.30 am, just before the start of voting. Supporters of candidates were engaged in clashes to take control of the polling centers.
At 4.30 PM supporters of two councillor candidates engaged in an hour-long clashes. Police arrested Jahirul Islam Jashim, a rival councillor candidate of Awami League from the spot.
After the voting, results were announced from the control room set up in the gymnasium adjacent to the MA Aziz Stadium. Out of 735 centers, results of 733 polling stations were declared. Voting in two centers under Patharghata ward of the city was suspended due to clashes.
Mohammad Ataur Rahman, Senior District Election Officer told this reporter, there have been clashes in only a few centers. But the situation brought under control by taking special measures.
Since the votes had been cast in EVM, the results were available within the fastest time. The presiding officers displayed these results at each center.
Instant results show that Awami League-nominated mayoral and councillor candidates are leading in the results of several centers in Jamal Khan and Kazir Deuri areas of the city.
At 7PM Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, City Corporation Election Returning Officer and Regional Election Officer started announcing the results of the voting from the control room set up in the gymnasium adjacent to MA Aziz Stadium in the city.
According to the results came to the control room, the victory of the Awami League candidates was clear.
Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and mayoral candidate Dr Shahadat Hossain spoke at a press conference at the BNP's office Nasimon Bhaban shortly after the polls closed.
They said it was not an election; there was no need to participate in such an election. The BNP leaders said that they participated in the election to prove that a fair election could not be held under the Awami League government.
At night, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud briefed reporters at his residence in Chattogram about the city corporation election.
He said, rejected by the people, the BNP talks about the election in various ways. They should try to win the trust of the people, without trying to question the election.