Voter turnout range 41-92% in third phase of municipal elections

In the third phase of the municipality elections, the highest voter turnout was 92.14%, in Dhamoirhat municipality of Naogaon, while the lowest was 41.87%% in Moulvibazar municipality. 

The average voter turnout was 70.42%.

The total number of voters in the 62 municipalities, where the third phase was held, was 19,08,616. Of them, 13,44,016 individuals cast their votes. 

However, like the previous two phases, sporadic clashes, occupation of polling centres and boycotts marked the polls held on Saturday. 

In the third phase of the municipal elections, among the 62 municipalities, Awami League nominated candidates secured 45 mayoral posts while BNP candidates won just three.

Meanwhile, independent candidates won mayoral posts in 14 municipalities. However, among the independent candidates at least nine were Awami League rebel candidates. 

"This winning in the election does not mean that Awami League candidates are popular. This is not an election for mass people, it is only for winning and grabbing posts," said former election commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain.

He said, "The candidates want to win by any means, so violence and irregularities are taking place. These also happen to show muscle and power. Election officials and the law enforcement also do not do their duties properly." 

"The main thing is that the EC [Electoral Commission] has no control over the elections and this election is hardly credible," he concluded.

Meanwhile, a fierce contest took place for the mayoral post of Zakiganj Municipality in Sylhet where the independent candidate Abdul Ahad won by just two votes. He got 2,083 votes while his nearest rival, also an independent candidate, Faruk Ahmed got 2,081 votes. 

In contrast, Awami League-nominated candidate Md Nazrul Islam Swapon bagged the easiest victory in Feni municipality, winning the mayoral post by 67,360 votes getting 69,309 votes while his nearest rival BNP's Alal Uddin got 1,949 votes.

Apart from this, three mayors and 25 councillors, as well as nine reserved seat councillors, won unopposed before the election in different municipalities, as their rivals either withdrew their candidacies or were eliminated in the selection process.

Meanwhile, 17 candidates have lost their forfeited deposits as they failed to bag one-eighth of the total votes cast. Among them, 15 were BNP-backed candidates, one was from Islamic Andolon and one was an independent candidate. 

The total number of candidates was 3,344 in the third-phase election. Of them, 229 vied for mayoral posts while 2,360 competed for councillor posts and 755 for reserved seats. 

Meanwhile, in the first and second phases, elections were held in 84 municipalities. Of them, Awami League candidates won in 64 municipalities while BNP candidates secured victory in six. Independent candidates of both parties won in 11 municipalities while candidates of other parties triumphed in two.

The first-phase elections were held on 28 December last year while the second phase was held on 16 January.