35-40pc vote cast until 11:45am: Deputy commissioner

Around 35-40 per cent votes have been cast so far in the Narayanganj City Corporation elections, said Narayanganj deputy commissioner Mostain Billah.

He was talking to newspersons after visiting the Narayanganj Government Women’s College centre around 11:45am on Sunday.

“Voting is taking place peacefully and in a fair manner. Candidates’ agents are in every polling centres. Female voters outnumber the male voters,” he added.

After 18 days of high-energy campaign, voting has begun in 192 centres under 27 wards in Narayanganj City Corporation election on Sunday. The voting started at 8:00am to be continued till 4:00pm. Electronic voting machine (EVM) is being used in the voting.

Two main contestants in the election, ruling Awami League nominated mayoral candidate Selina Hayat Ivy and independent candidate Taimur Alam Khandaker hoped to win the election. They expressed the hope after casting their votes respectively at Deobhog Shishu Bagh Government Primary School centre and at Islamia Kamil (MA) Madrasah in Masdair area of the city.

Both of them also told the media that the voting is taking place fairly.

Deputy commissioner Mostain Billah said no mayoral candidate or councillor runner has so far filed any complaint about the voting.

He also said, “Over 5,000 law enforcing personnel have been deployed to make sure fair voting. Thirty nine magistrates are also working to that end. Hopefully, the election will be fair until the end.”

Besides Ivy and Taimur, five other candidates are also running for the post of the NCC mayoral post. They are Bangladesh Khalafat Majlish’s ABM Sirajul Mamun (with electoral symbol 'wall clock'), Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s ('hand fan'), Bangladesh Kalyan Party’s Rashed Ferdaus ('wristwatch'), Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan’s Md Jashim Uddin ('banyan tree') and another independent candidate Kamrul Islam ('horse').

Besides, 148 candidates are contesting for ward councillor posts while 38 women are contesting for reserved seats for women in the NCC polls.

This time the NCC elections have 517,361 voters, including 257,511 females. There are some 42,418 first-time voters.

After 18 days of high-energy campaign, voting has begun in 192 centres under 27 wards in Narayanganj City Corporation election. No violence was reported in the 18 days of electioneering.