Taimur casts vote, hopes to win NCC polls by lakh votes
Narayaganj City Corporation (NCC) election independent mayoral candidate Taimur Alam Khandaker cast his vote at Islamia Dakhil Madrasa voting centre on Sunday morning
Taimur Alam Khandaker, independent mayoral candidate in Narayaganj City Corporation (NCC) election cast his vote at Islamia Dakhil Madrasa voting centre near Jamtala Central Eidgah area on Sunday (16 January) morning as the voting began.
"I will win the election with over a lakh votes. Situation seems peaceful till now, we can tell fully after the counting of votes," Taimur said.
Narayanganj election still remains an exception compared to the rest of the country as no violence was reported in the pre-poll campaign.
Leaders, activists of major political parties, and followers of the candidates took part in the campaigns. People also enjoyed the peaceful campaigns
"I did not withdraw from the election on my own in the 2011 and 2016 elections. I boycotted the election as my party – BNP – boycotted it. This time I am the people's candidate," Taimur Alam Khandaker said.
Taimur said the people are supporting him this year as they no longer want to bear the burden of excessive taxes.
The voting started at 8am in 192 polling centres in 27 wards of the city and will continue till 4pm without any break. The constituency has a total of 517,362 registered voters – 259,846 men, 257,511 women and four people from third gender communities who will exercise their voting rights at 1333 polling booths in 192 centres.
The election will decide the post of mayor, nine reserved women councillors and 27 ward councillors.
Awami League nominated mayoral candidate Selina Hayat Ivy will cast her vote at 9:30am in Narayanganj's Shishu Bagh School in Deobhog area.
If Selina Hayat Ivy, the first female mayor in the country, wins the election, she will be the first to become mayor for the third time in a row. On the other hand, the victory of Taimur Alam Khandaker might create more space for the opposition parties to raise questions about the "acceptance" of the ruling Awami League, which has been in power since 2009.
Narayanganj-4 constituency MP Shamim Osman will vote in Adarsh School in the afternoon.