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Ruling party-endorsed mayor candidates win Bangladesh city corporation elections

Xinhua, April 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

Bangladesh's ruling party-endorsed candidates have won all the three city corporation elections marred by violations and boycotted by ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Mihir Sarwar Morshed, a returning officer, announced official poll results Wednesday morning saying "Bangladesh Awami League ( AL) party-backed candidate Sayeed Khokon beat his nearest BNP- backed candidate Mirza Abbas by a margin of 241,005 votes."

In the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), ruling party-backed mayor aspirant Sayeed Khokon polled 535,296 votes while BNP-backed mayoral candidate Mirza Abbas got 294,291.

The counting of the votes cast in the three city corporation elections on Tuesday begun shortly after the polling ended at 4:00 p.m. local time.

In the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), AL-blessed mayor candidate Annisul Huq bagged 442,871 votes while BNP favorite Tabith Awal got 320,410.

Hours after the end of voting, Tabith Awal has urged the Election Commission to hold fresh election in the Dhaka North City Corporation alleging widespread vote rigging and irregularities during Tuesday's voting.

However, the ruling party-endorsed candidate AJM Nasir Uddin secured his win in Chittagong City Corporation elections. AJM Nasir Uddin got 475,361 votes to win the election, Bangladesh Election Commission said.

He was followed by BNP-backed Manjur Alam who got 305,837 votes.

About four hours after voting began at 8:00 a.m. local time, all the three BNP backed mayoral candidates in Dhaka and seaport city Chittagong pulled out of the race alleging the polls were rigged and unfair.

Stray incidents of clash, arson, vandalism, chase and counter- chase as well as detention have been reported in Dhaka and elsewhere in the Chittagong, some 242 km southeast of Dhaka.

BNP leader Moudud Ahmed said they are boycotting the "farce election" to protest the massive rigging by pro-ruling party.

Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League party leader Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif has dismissed the allegations by opposition.

A total of 48 aspirants were running for mayor of DSCC, DNCC and CCC while 249 for 45 reserved seats and 891 for 134 general councilor posts in the corporations. Endi