Rajshahi and Sylhet City polls underway

This morning the voting started amid  risk of rain using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the city corporation elections in Rajshahi and Sylhet.

The polling was started casting from 8:00 am and continue till 4:00 pm without a break.

Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) started being operating in 90s. 

RCC has 30 wards. As many as four mayoral candidates are vying for the mayor post. Around 46 candidates are contesting for 10 reserved women councilor posts and 111 candidates for 30 general councilor posts. Total voters in this city are 3,51,982 people. There are 155 polling stations and 1153 polling booths in RCC area.

AS many as 16 BNP members are running for the position of councillor in Rajshahi even though the party did not participate in the election. In addition, nine Jamaat-e-Islami candidates took part in the election.

The mayoral candidates are: Bangladesh Awami League nominated and former mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton (Boat), Jatiya Party candidate Saiful Islam Swapan (Plough) and Jaker Party Latif Anwar (Rose).

Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) was established in 2002. Sylhet city elections have been held 4 times so far. Apart from of Awami League or BNP, no one has been elected as mayor there so far.

According to the office of returning officers in Sylhet, there are a total of 4,87,753 voters in the city. There have been 42 general wards. Eight candidates are contesting for the mayor post where 273 for the ward councillor post and 87 for the reserved ward (14 posts) councillor post. There are a total of 1,364 polling booths in 190 polling centres.

The Awami League‍‍`s Md. Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, the Jatiya Party‍‍`s Nazrul Islam Babul, the Islami Andolon Bangladesh (IAB)‍‍`s Mahmudul Hasan, and the Zaker Party‍‍`s Zahirul Alam are the contenders for mayor.

On June 13, the day after the party‍‍`s mayoral candidate for Barishal City Corporation came under attack during voting, the IAB candidate abstained.

Mohammad Abdul Hanif Kutu, Salah Uddin Rimon, Mostaque Ahmad Rouf Mustafa, and Md. Shahjahan Miah are the independent candidates for mayor.

Around 132 centres have been designated as "important," which is another word for "risky," and more security is provided in these locations.

Police and ansar forces are present in the centres. In addition, security tasks are being carried out by 15 strike teams, 51 mobile police units, and Rapid Action Battalions.

Additionally, the Critical Response Team (CRT) and Armoured Personnel Carrier of the Police have been put on standby in case of crises.

In addition, the city is overseen by 10 magistrates commanding 10 BGB platoons, 42 executive magistrates, and 14 judicial judges for the prompt trial of election-related offenses.

In order to maintain surveillance from the EC headquarters, the Election Commission has also deployed 1,747 closed circuit cameras in the polling places.