BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said their party boycotted the election to Cumilla City Corporation as it knew what would happen there. “You yourself saw yesterday's election. I don’t want to talk about it further…We knew earlier that this thing would happen there. That’s why we earlier clearly said we would not go to any polls under this regime,” he said. Speaking at a discussion, he also said joining the polls under this government means giving it more legitimacy. “It’s now a proven fact.” Also read: Finance Minister’s activities have no connection with constitution, ethics: Fakhrul A faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club to mark the ‘Black Day commemorating the shutdown of all newspapers except four state-run ones on 16 June 1975. Awami League mayoral candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat was unofficially declared the winner of the high-voltage Cumilla City Corporation election held on Wednesday. As per the results announced by returning officer of the polls, Shahedunnabi Chowdhury, Rifat defeated two-time mayor Monirul Haque Sakku by a margin of only 343 votes. Sakku, however, turned down the election results and said he was defeated in a planned way by manipulating the results of a few centers at the last time. Also read: Cumilla City Corporation election ends peacefully Fakhrul bemoaned that though 50 years have passed since the independence of Bangladesh, the nation still could not ensure a system of peaceful transfer of power. “When the arrangement was made for holding the election under a partisan government annulling the caretaker government system through the 15th amendment to the constitution, our leader Khaleda Zia said that a permanent cause of violence and instability has been created through that incident,” he observed. Under the circumstances, the BNP leader said there is no alternative to restoring democracy in the country to protect press freedom, judiciary, administration, education and all other things. Fakhrul said democracy and freedom of the press are inseparable. “How can we get the freedom of the press without having democracy? That is why we have been saying for the last few years that our goal is to bring back democracy.” He said those who have destroyed and snatched democracy will not restore it. “That is the reality. There is nothing in the character of the Awami League to tolerate the dissent.” The BNP leader said they are working to wake up people from all walks of life to restore democracy and give the ongoing movement a final shape. He said Awami League has snatched democracy, freedom of the press and the rights of people and individuals while BNP restored press freedom, democracy and introduced multi-party democracy. “This is the basic difference between the Awami League and the BNP.” Fakhrul reaffirmed that their parry will revoke all ‘black’ and ‘repressive’ laws, including the Digital Security Act, if it returns to power.

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). Independent candidate and immediate-past mayor Monirul Haque Sakku cast his vote around 9 am at Hossamia High School in the city. Read: Voting underway in Cumilla City polls Talking to reporters, Sakku said he is hopeful about his victory if the election becomes held free and fair. Expressing satisfaction over the overall election environment, Awami League candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat said he is also hopeful about his victory. Rifat cast his vote at Cumilla Victoria Collegiate High School around 9:15 am. Later, Mohammad Nizam Uddin Kaiser, an independent candidate and local MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar also cast their vote at the same centre. A large number of voters were seen standing in long queues to cast their votes despite rain in the morning. Presiding Officer of Cumilla High School under No 5 Ward, Fazlul Karim, said voting at the polling centre disrupted for 42 minutes due to technical fault at Electronic Voting Machine. The EVM machine of no 1 booth out of the six booths at the centre went out of order, halting vote casting. Later, the balloting at the center started after 42 minutes after a technical team repaired the machine and changed it. The centre is set for female voters and one vote was cast in 51 minutes due to a technical fault. Arpana Sen, a voter, said “I managed to stand in the queue around 7:30 am but failed to proceed further for a long time.” During a visit to Reazuddin Government Primary School, this correspondent found that some people wearing boat badges thronged the polling centre. Asked about the presence of many people at a centre, Abdul Kuddus, who was among them, said they are there to help people cast their vote easily. Contacted, Returning officer of Cumilla City Corporation Election, Shahedunnabi Chowdhury, said they are investigating the incident. Presiding Officer of the polling centre, Hafizur Rahman, said “No untoward incident occurred till 12 pm and the voters are casting their votes in a peaceful manner.” Five candidates are vying for the office of mayor. It is the third election of the Cumilla City Corporation after its formation in 2011 while for 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 Dhrirendanath Datta Stadium. 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.

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Tuesday said the upcoming Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) elections will be 'free, fair, neutral, and acceptable to all'. The Election Commission and the law enforcement agencies are active to hold the CCC elections in a free and peaceful manner, he said. Tajul said this while briefing journalists after a meeting with US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D Hass at his ministry.  He said excitement prevails ahead of participatory polls and it is normal. “However, we don’t want any unwanted situation centering the CCC elections.”  Also Read: LGRD Minister calls for differentiated pricing of water for rich and poor In response to a question, the minister said the Election Commission is firmly committed to holding the polls in a free, fair, and acceptable manner. The administration and the law enforcers will work under the Election Commission during the polls. The government is also committed to providing all kinds of assistance to the Election Commission. He also said in the meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States has expressed its interest to work in the development of the city health management of Bangladesh. Peter D Hass said Bangladesh and the United States are good friends. Both the countries have had economic, social, and commercial relations for a long time. The United States along with Bangladesh will work to resolve the bilateral and internal problems of the two countries, he added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ambitious plan to give Cumilla a much-needed makeover on the lines of a smart city has gained momentum. Better water and energy management as well as enhanced mobility options ensuring last-mile connectivity make modern cities across the world sustainable and liveable. Read: Growing vegetable export revives Cumilla farmers’ hopes Cumilla would boast of all such modern facilities under the "renovation project", for which a whopping Tk 1,500 crore has now been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). Cumilla City Mayor Monirul Haque Sakku thanked Prime Minister Hasina, who chaired the committee meeting on Tuesday, on behalf of the residents. "The residents of Cumilla are very happy to receive this gift on the Golden Jubilee of independence and the centenary of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," an elated Mayor said. The project plan includes great infrastructural development in the city, officials said. Cumilla City Corporation execution officer Shafiqul Islam said the Mayor, engineers and officials of the civic body have all been working on this mega project for the past one year as per the government's directions. Read: Cumilla pottery: Heritage on the verge of extinction "The corporation is, in fact, adhering to all the step-by-step directions of the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives," he said. "Through the implementation of this project, everyone's dream of building a modern, developed, livable city will come true," said Shafiqul.

Four wards under Cumilla City Corporation went under complete lockdown from Saturday midnight due to alarming rise in coronavirus cases.

Local administration has decided to put four wards under Cumilla City Corporation to complete lockdown from Saturday due to alarming rise in coronavirus cases.   The lockdown will remain in force from June 20 to July 3.   The areas include Racecourse and police lines areas under No 3 ward, Dharmasagar Paschimpar and Jhautala under No 10 ward, Uttar Chortha, Nanuadighirpar under No 12 Ward and Dakkhin Chartha and its surrounding areas under No 13 ward.   The decision was taken at an emergency meeting, held at the conference room of the deputy commissioner on Tuesday.   The meeting also decided that the local administration will provide 10 kgs of rice to each family, living in those areas while oil, pulse, onion and other food items will be provided by a local MP.   Banks and financial organisations will remain closed during this period in the lockdown areas.   However, groceries and pharmacies will remain open in the lockdown areas.   Deputy commissioner Abul Fazal Mir said Cumilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ) will remain closed during this period.   District civil Surgeon Dr Niatuzzaman, Chief Executive Officer of the City Corporation Mir Shakhawat Hossain, city corporation councillors and law enforcing agencies were present at the meeting.   The overall coronavirus situation in Bangladesh kept worsening as the health authorities on Tuesday confirmed the detection of the 3,862 new coronavirus patients in the span of 24 hours, raising the total number to 94, 481.   During this period, 53 people died from coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 1,262.

Thirty-eight people, including the Sadar upazila Chairman and a city corporation councillor, were diagnosed with coronavirus on Wednesday.

Unplanned and unauthorised construction of multistoried risky buildings with substandard materials have become a serious threat to city dwellers.