The ruling Awami League has fared better in the elections to Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and municipalities as people’s confidence has increased in the government.

The party also expects to sweep the today’s third-phase polls in 63 municipalities due to the government’s growing popularity though at least 30 rebels are in the mayoral race, insiders said.

People’s confidence has increased in Sheikh Hasina-led government thanks to massive development activities being carried out as per the party’s electoral pledges, they added.
The Awami League has been able to ensure victory for the party-backed candidates in the last two phases of the municipal elections by containing the rebels.

But the third-phase municipal polls to be held across the country today will see an increase in the number of rebel mayoral candidates of the ruling party.

AL general secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday said party-backed mayoral candidate’s landslide victory in Chattogram city polls is the result of massive development activities of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

“People of Chattogram have rejected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as they (BNP) failed to win the hearts of people because of their conspiracies against the government,” he said.

AL mayoral candidate M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury won the CCC polls with a huge margin. He bagged 369,248 votes while his rival BNP candidate Shahadat Hossain got only 52,489 votes.

None of the BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami-backed councilor candidates won in any of the 41 general and 14 reserved wards in the CCC polls. All 55 winning candidates in councilor posts are from AL and its rebels.
In the first-phase polls in 24 municipalities held on December 28, 20 AL candidates and two rebels secured win. Ten rebels participated in elections to eight municipalities out of 24.

Besides, in the January 16 second-phase mayoral polls, 51 AL men including five rebels secured win out of 60 municipalities. Twenty AL rebels participated in 16 municipalities.

Awami League presidium member Faruk Khan told the daily sun that there is no reason for BNP to get votes. AL candidate won the elections as a qualified candidate, he said.

“There was no development work during the last BNP term but people of Chattogram witnessed huge development activities in the last 12 years of our tenure,” he added.

According to party insiders, at least 30 rebels are contesting the third-phase municipal polls across the country. They are upazila AL member Mukitur Rahman Rafi in Gobindaganj of Gaibandha, AGM Badsha in Dhanut of Bogura, former Pabna Juba League president Sharif Uddin Prodhan in Pabna Sadar, Gouripur AL president Rafiqul Islam in Gouripur of Mymensingh, municipal AL organizing secretary Saidur Rahman in Mundumala of Rajshahi, municipal AL joint convener M Shahiduzzaman Selim and incumbent mayor M Jahidul Islam in Kotchandpur of Jhenaidah, Cumilla south AL member and former mayor M Bahaduruzzaman, municipal juba league president Kamrul Hassan and AL worker Abu Sayeed in Borura of Cumilla, Sherpur AL information and research secretary Rafiqul Islam Adhar and labour secretary Arif Reza in Sherpur Sadar, AKM Masud Khan in Nalsiti of Jhalokathi, Khaled Saifullah in Choumuhoni of Noakhali, former Swechchasebak League women secretary Salma Anika in Katiadi of Kishoreganj, Abul Bashar Chokdar in Bhedorganj and former mayor Abul Khayer Fakir in Jajira of Shariatpur, Patharghata upazila Sramik League president Mostafizur Rahman and Patharghata upazila AL member Shah Alam Mollick in Patharghata of Barguna while Shahadat Hossain in Barguna Sadar, Matiur Rahman Khan in Rahanpur of Chapainawabganj, Pangsha upazila Juba League convener Fazlul Haque of Rajbari, municipal Juba League president Shishir Karmakar in Sharupkathi of Pirojpur, Abdus Sattar in Ishwarganj in Mymensingh, incumbent mayor and municipal AL president Aminul Islam Rabel and former mayor Jakaria Ahmad Paplu in Jakiganj and Ahad Mia in Gopalganj of Sylhet, Abdus Sattar in Bhuapur of Tangail and Ilias Hossain Babul in Jaldhaka of Nilphamari.