AL favourites dominate Gazipur councillor polls
41 pro-AL candidates emerged victorious in the total 57 wards of Gazipur
Candidates, having an Awami League leaning, displayed a clear dominance in councillor posts in the Gazipur city elections held on Thursday, when its mayoral candidate conceded defeat.
A staggering 41 pro-AL candidates emerged victorious in the total 57 wards of the city.
Meanwhile, 13 candidates, who are local leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), secured victories.
These councillors, along with 16 others, had been expelled from their party for participating in the polls.
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Among them, councillor candidate Faisal Ahmad Sarkar was elected unopposed as he was the only councillor candidate in Ward No-15.
Meanwhile, though the AL-supported candidates secured the majority of wards within the city, indicating that the party's influence remains strong in Gazipur's grassroots politics, it is important to note that this is not the complete picture.
According to voters, the outcome of the elections depended not only on party affiliation but also on the personal image and financial resources of the candidates.
One voter, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed, "We cast our votes not merely based on party lines but by assessing the individual candidates."
Meanwhile, three councillor candidates without any political identity managed to secure victories, adding a touch of diversity to the results.
However, concerns have been raised about the councillors' ability to fulfil their duties effectively this year, as their role in mobilising voters and facilitating civic engagement is crucial.
The reason is that this year's election witnessed the lowest ever voter turnout, with only 48.75% of eligible voters exercising their right to vote.
This figure represents a significant decline compared to the 2018 election, which saw a turnout of 57.02%, and the 2013 election, which boasted a higher turnout of 63.69%.
In this year's electoral contest, there were 243 councillor candidates contests while 78 women contestants fought for reserved wards. Besides, there were 8 mayoral candidates totalling the contestant number 329.
