Tahsin Bahar wins Cumilla city polls

Awami League leader Tahsin Bahar has emerged victorious in the by-election into the mayoral position in the Cumilla City Corporation (CCC), with 48,890 votes in her bag. 

Her closest contestant Monirul Haque, former joint secretary of the BNP’s Cumilla city unit, secured only 26,897 votes. 

Following a daylong voting on Saturday, the election authorities announced the results at the auditorium of Cumilla Zilla School in the evening. 

Returning officer Farhad Hossain disclosed the results of 105 polling centres across the city and unofficially declared Tahsin Bahar as the winning candidate.

She is the daughter of Awami League leader and lawmaker from Cumilla-6 AKM Bahauddin. 

Defeated Monirul Haque served the city corporation as its mayor for two consecutive terms since 2011. Later, he conceded defeat to Awami League leader Arfanul Haque in the city elections in 2022. 

The position fell vacant in December last year due to the demise of Arfanul Haque. 

Among other candidates, Nur-ur-Rahman Mahmud, an advisor to Awami League’s Cumilla city unit, secured 5,173 votes, while Nijam Uddin, former president of Swechhasebak Dal’s Cumilla city unit, received 13,155 votes. 

The voter turnout rate was 38.82 per cent in the election, while the total voter count was 242,458. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used at all the polling stations.