Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Monday said the Election Commission didn’t direct ruling party lawmaker AKM Bahauddin Bahar to leave his home town during the recently held Cumilla City Corporation. “He (Bahauddin) is undoubtedly a very important person. But the Election Commission can’t order anyone, even an ordinary person to leave his place (permanent address) let alone him (Bahauddin),” said the CEC at a press conference at his office in the city’s Agargaon area.  “We didn’t issue any order to Mr Bahauddin to leave his place. We humbly requested him to assist the Election Commission for the sake of maintenance of the electoral codes. We still have the letter,” he said. But the news spread everywhere that the EC issued a directive, but can’t implement it, he said. The CEC said an outsider can be ordered to leave the electoral place, but Cumilla is the permanent address of the lawmaker. The EC instructed local MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar not to stay in the area after EC received the allegation of his campaigning in the Cumilla city polls. But he did not leave the area and rather filed a writ petition in the High Court. Also read: Elections to Cumilla city, other local bodies were peaceful: CEC The EC has been widely criticized for this. Explaining the matter, Habibul Awal said that Bahauddin did not break any law. The CEC explained that they received an allegation that he was secretly campaigning and so the commission requested him.  "He may or may not keep the request. But it would have been better if he had left," he said. He added that EC did not see him take part in public campaigns. But some say he took part tactically. One of our expectations was that if EC requested him, it will end all confusion. Awal said the EC forced an influential minister to leave the area within an hour as he was an outsider.  READ: CEC: Not fully confident over EVM yet Election Commissioners- Brigadier General (Retd.) Ahsan Habib Khan, Begum Rasheda Sultana, Md. Alamgir and EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker were also present. The Cumilla city election was held on June 15 where Awami League candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat won as mayor defeating his nearest independent rival Monirul Islam Sakku by 343 votes.

Awami League mayoral candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat unofficially won the high-voltage Cumilla City Corporation election reversing the winning streak of independent runner Monirul Haque Sakku in a very close contest on Wednesday. Rifat defeated two-time mayor Sakku by a margin of only 343 votes as the Cumilla city witnessed a tight race in a peaceful election after a long time. According to the unofficial results, Rifat bagged 50,310 votes while his nearest candidate Sakku obtained 49,967 votes. Independent candidates Mohammed Nizam Uddin won 29,099 votes, Kamrul Ahsan Babul 2,329 votes and Islami Andolon Bangladesh candidate Md Rasedul Islam bagged 3,040 votes. Out of the five mayoral candidates, Rifat contested the election with the symbol of "Boat" while Sakku with "Table Clock" symbol. Returning officer of Cumilla City Corporation Election, Shahedunnabi Chowdhury announced the results of the all the 105 polling stations at around 9:30pm. Out of the 5 mayoral candidates, Rifat contested the election with the symbol of “Boat” while Sakku with “Table Clock”. In his initial reaction, Sakku turned down the election results as he claimed to be subjected to a conspiracy. He also said he was defatted in a planned way by manipulating the results of a few centers. Earlier, voting in the Cumilla City Corporation election ended peacefully amid reports of technical fault in voting machines in a couple of centres and slow voting. Balloting for the election started at 8am and continued till 4pm without any break. Counting of votes began shortly after the voting ended. Voters exercised their franchise in a festive mood using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Rifat cast his vote at Cumilla Victoria Collegiate High School around 9:15 am. Expressing satisfaction over the overall election environment, he said he was also hopeful about his victory. Independent candidate and immediate-past mayor Monirul Haque Sakku cast his vote around 9 am at Hossamia High School in the city. Talking to reporters, Sakku said he was also confident about his victory if the election held in a free and fair manner. Later, Mohammad Nizam Uddin Kaiser, an independent candidate and local MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar also cast their vote at the same centre. Also Read: Elections to Cumilla city, other local bodies were peaceful: CEC A large number of voters were seen standing in long queues to cast their votes despite rain in the morning.  It is the third election of the Cumilla City Corporation after its formation in 2011 while for the first under the new Election Commission. Five candidates vied for the mayoral posts while 106 ones for 27 ward councilor posts and 36 women for nine reserved seats in the election. The first two elections to the Cumilla city Corporation were held in 2011 and 2017. In the two elections, BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku was elected the mayor. BNP, however, boycotted the polls as per its decision not to participate in polls under the current Awami League government. On May 19 last BNP expelled Sakku for life as he was contesting the city polls defying the party's decision. Sakku himself also resigned from his post to contest the polls. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Wednesday said the elections to Cumilla City Corporation, five municipalities and more than 120 Union Parishads in different districts were held in a fair and peaceful manner. “Our overall opinion is that the polls to a city corporation, municipalities and union parishads were held in a peaceful and fair manner,” he said at a post-election press conference at his office in the city’s Agargaon area. He said they monitored the elections as much as possible through CC cameras and televisions and found the electoral environment peaceful since the morning and the elections were held without any violence. “We have not heard any allegations from the voters,” he said. The CEC said the voter turnout was around 60 percent according to the primary information the EC offices gleaned from the polling stations. About the electronic voting machine (EVM), Habibul Awal said the commission observed that elections were held in a good manner with the EVMs, though some people alleged that they faced problems in exercising voting rights through the machines.

Voters are exercising their franchise in the election to Cumilla City Corporation on Wednesday.The voting began at 8am and will continue until 4pm without any break.A total of 2,29,920 voters will exercise their voting right through EVM in 105 centres. There are 640 booths in 105 polling stations.Five candidates are vying for the office of mayor. Read: Sakku’s hat-trick or Rifat’s first?It is the third election of the Cumilla City Corporation after its formation in 2011 while the first under the new Election Commission, which will be conducted through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in its entirety. Law enforcement agencies have mounted tight security measures to ensure peaceful holding of much talked-about polls, said superintendent of Cumilla Police Faruk Ahmed on Tuesday. The whole city has been brought under security blanket, he said while speaking at a press briefing on law and order situation ahead of the polls at Language Movement Hero Drirendanath Datta Stadium. Read: Security tightened ahead of Cumilla city polls The law enforcement agencies have done whatever is needed to ensure security and at least 75 check-posts were installed in the city, he said. Over 3,600 members of law enforcement agencies have already been deployed in the field to maintain law and order, he added. The last Cumilla city election was held on Mar 30, 2017. BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku was elected mayor for the second term.