As voting in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) and Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) elections ended, the counting of votes is continuing in the polling stations on Wednesday (June 21).
The voting started at 8:00am and continued until 4:00pm without any break.
Earlier, voters were seen standing in long queues at polling centres to cast their votes using electronic voting machines (EVM).
For the first time in RCC's 36-year history, elections were held in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in all 155 centres.
A total of 161 candidates remained in the election race. Of them, three for mayor, 112 for general councilors in 30 wards and 46 for 10 reserved seats for women councilors.
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).
A total of 155 presiding officers, 1,153 assistance presiding officers and 3,459 polling officers are conducting the election.
There are 3,51,982 voters, including 1,80,809 females, to exercise their right of franchise in EVM in 1,153 rooms of 155 polling centres in 30 wards from 8am to 4pm without any break.
In Sylhet, eight candidates – AL-backed Md Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, Jatiya Party’s Md Nazrul Islam, Zaker Party’s Md Zahirul Alam, Islami Andolon’s Mahmudul Hasan, and independent Mohammad Abdul Hanif Kutu, Md Salah Uddin Rimon, Mostaque Ahmed Rauf, and Md Shahjahan Miah, are contesting for the mayor’s office in the SCC polls.
Besides, 273 aspirants are contesting for councillor posts in 42 general wards and 87 candidates for councillor posts in 14 reserved councillor posts for women in the SCC polls.
A total of 4,87,753 voters were expected to vote at the SCC polls.
Election Commissioner Begum Rashida Sultana on Wednesday (June 21) hoped around 40 percent of votes would be cast as in RCC and SCC polls as voting has been peaceful and the law and order situation is also good.
She made the expectation while talking to the reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka on Wednesday.
She claimed that law enforcement agencies are performing their duties well and there is no report of any irregularities.
The chief election commissioner and other commissioners are also monitoring the polls through CCTV cameras from Nirbachan Bhaban.
BDST: 1600 HRS, JUNE 21, 2023
SMS
