Ruling Bangladesh Awami League-nominated candidates, including 28 unopposed contenders, for chairman posts won in 148 union parishads out of 204 UPs that went to election on Monday, reports UNB.
Besides, 49 independent chairman contenders, three contestants each from Jatiya Party (JaPa) and Jatiya Party-JP (Manju) and one from Islami Andolan Bangladesh were elected in the remaining UPs, according to the factsheet of the election commission.
Most of the independent chairman contenders who got elected are also known as AL’s rebel candidates.
De facto opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party did not participate in the election alleging that the government and the election commission have broken the electoral system.
The average turnout was claimed to be 64.73 per cent in the first phase election to 204 UPs. The highest turnout of 82.75 per cent was in Chandradwip union of Bauphal upazila in Patuakhali, while the lowest turnout of 49.57 per cent was in Binaykathi of Jhalakathi sadar upazila.
Though the EC announced the election schedule for 204 UPs, AL’s chairman candidates were earlier elected unopposed in 28 UPs, finding no rival candidate against their respective posts.
So, polls to the chairman posts were held in the remaining 176 UPs.