Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Thursday that internal problems resulted in the defeat of their party-nominated candidate in Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) election held on Tuesday.  He said this while exchanging views with journalists at the conference room of the secretariat in the capital. “Mayor will be from the plough, the second will be the boat---most of the people had the idea over the RCC elections. But all the accounts were overturned in the result of the vote. The AL candidate lost her collateral being fourth in the race,” he said, adding that there are problems there and it was not supposed to be defeated by the margin seen. Read more: JaPa’s Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa elected as RCC mayor for second consecutive time Asked about the debacle of the party-sponsored candidate, he said the Jatiya Party-backed candidate was ahead in the pre-election survey and there were some problems inside them (AL). Apart from this, it was a local government election and many factors are considered in such an election, Quader observed. “We came to know earlier that the Jatiya Party candidate was ahead of the other candidates. The government party didn’t make any exaggeration here—for that we didn’t try to force power to go ahead and from these aspects democracy won,” he said. Quader, also road, transport and bridges minister, said they are looking into the facts behind the debacle and going to take a tougher organisational action within one week. Read more: Voting for Rangpur City Corporation election tomorrow Minister Quader, who became the party’s GS for the third consecutive time, names of members of the central committee will be announced within one to two day. 

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said election violence under the present Election Commission (EC) has dropped to zero. “The Election Commission wants to continue it,” he said while talking to reporters at the Election Commission Bhaban. Regarding Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) election, the CEC said the voting is underway at a slow pace for using electronic voting machines (EVMs). About 56 percent voters have cast their votes till 4 pm, he added. The voting may continue till 7-8 pm due the long queues at the polling centres, he added. The voting in the election was scheduled to end at 4:30pm. Read more: Rangpur City Corporation: Voting begins amid enthusiasm The EC will look into whether there is any other reason behind the delay in voting , he added. “We have got some allegations of slow voting due to electronic voting machines (EVMs) but all the voters at the centers will be allowed to exercise their franchise till night,” he said. The Election Commission is monitoring the election through CC cameras from a control room. Election Commissioners Brig. General (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan, Md Alamgir, Anisur Rahman, Squadron leader Shahrier Alam are present at the control room and observing the whole situation as already 1,807 CC cameras have been installed at the polling booths. Read more: Official electioneering period ends tonight, before Rangpur votes for mayor Voting in Rangpur City Corporation began on Tuesday morning using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at 229 centres. Nine candidates are vying for the mayoral post while 183 people are contesting for councillor posts under 33 wards. Sixty-eight candidates are contesting the polls for 11 reserved seats, said Returning Officer Abdul Baten. The mayoral candidates are: Amiruzzaman from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Abu Raihan from Bangladesh Congress, Touhidur Rahman Mandal from Khelafat Majlish, Mostafizur Rahman from Jatiya Party, Shafier Rahman from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia from Awami League, Khorshed Alam from Zaker Party, Mehedi Hasan and Latifur Rahman as independent candidates. Campaigning in the Rangpur City Corporation election ended on Sunday midnight amid much enthusiasm. A total of 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers are performing their duties to maintain order in the voting centres. The first Rangpur City Corporation election was held on December 21, 2017. The tenure of the current mayor will expire on February 18, 2023.

Voting in Rangpur City Corporation began on Tuesday morning using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at 229 centres. It began at 8:00am and will continue till 4:30pm, said Returning Officer Abdul Baten. Nine candidates were vying for the mayoral post while 183 people are contesting for councillor posts under 33 wards. Sixty-eight candidates are contesting the polls for 11 reserved seats. Read: No outside pressure on Election Commission: CEC The mayoral candidates are: Amiruzzaman from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Abu Raihan from Bangladesh Congress, Touhidur Rahman Mandal from Khelafat Majlish, Mostafizur Rahman from Jatiya Party, Shafier Rahman from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia from Awami League, Khorshed Alam from Zaker Party, Mehedi Hasan and Latifur Rahman as independent candidates. This year, a total of 4,26,470 voters are expected to vote in the city corporation election. All preparations have been taken to hold a free and fair election, the official said. Mobile court drives were being conducted to ensure that the election code is followed, he said. Campaigning in the Rangpur City Corporation election ended on Sunday midnight amid much enthusiasm. Read: Govt’s cooperation needed for holding fair election: CEC A total of 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers are performing their duties to maintain order in the voting centres. The first Rangpur City Corporation election was held on December 21, 2017. The tenure of the current mayor will expire on February 18, 2023.  

Voting for Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) election will be held tomorrow (December 27, 2022). Voting will begin at 8am and will continue till 4:30pm, said Returning Officer Abdul Baten. Nine candidates are vying for the mayoral post whole 183 people are contesting for councillor posts under 33 wards. Sixty-eight people are contesting the polls for 11 reserved seats. Read more: Official electioneering period ends tonight, before Rangpur votes for mayor The mayoral candidates are: Amiruzzaman from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Abu Raihan from Bangladesh Congress, Touhidur Rahman Mandal from Khelafat Majlish, Mostafizur Rahman from Jatiya Party, Shafier Rahman from National Samajtantrik Dal Jasad, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia from Awami League, Khorshed Alam from Zaker Party, Mehedi Hasan and Latifur Rahman as independent candidates. This year, a total of 4,26,470 people are expected to vote in the city corporation election. “All preparations have been taken to hold a free and fair election and voting will be held at 229 centres through electronic voting machines,” he said. Mobile court drives will be conducted to ensure the election code is being followed, he said. Campaigning in the Rangpur City Corporation election ended on Sunday midnight amid much enthusiasm. Read more: Rangpur city polls: AL nominates Adv Hosne Ara Lutfa A total of 229 presiding officers, 1,349 assistant presiding officers and 2,698 polling officers will perform their duties on the election day. The first Rangpur City Corporation election was held on December 21, 2017. The tenure of the current mayor will end on February 18, 2023. As per the election act, voting for any city corporation must be held within 180 days of the expiration of current posts of mayors and councillors. Law enforcement agencies are geared towards ensuring security ahead of the polls while a three-tier security approach will be taken at each polling booth. Eleven platoons of BGB will be deployed in each reserved ward while Rab and other force personnel will remain there to ensure security.

Campaigning in the Rangpur City Corporation election is set to end on Sunday at midnight amid enthusiasm. Rangpur city will go to the polls to elect a mayor on December 28. A three-tier security has been beefed up to ensure free, fair and peaceful election. The Election Commission has taken all-out measures to hold the election and magistrates have been appointed at all the 33 wards of the city corporation while motorcycles were banned in the city. Seven candidates from seven political parties and two independent candidates are vying for the posts. Returning officer Abdul Baten said campaigning in the election will end at 12 am on Sunday and 11 returning officers will perform their duties. “Adequate Electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been kept ready and if there will be any issue using EVM then the technical team will repair it soon,” said Baten. Read more: Rangpur city polls: AL nominates Adv Hosne Ara Lutfa Law enforcement agencies have taken full proof security ahead of the polls while a three-tier security will be taken at each polling booth. 11 platoons of BGB will be deployed in each reserved ward while Rab and striking force will remain there to ensure security. Mobile courts will be conducted to check for any violations of the electoral code of conduct. A total of 4,26,469 people are eligible to cast their vote  in the election. Read more: Almost 60% of EVMs kept in Rangpur found to be defective 

The election to Rangpur City Corporation will be held on December 27. The election schedule was finalised at a meeting of the Election Commission (EC) with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal in the chair at the Election Commission Secretariat on Thursday. Read more:Govt to support Election Commission in holding fair election: Law Minister EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam announced the schedule after the meeting. He said the Commission has also decided to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) and CCTV cameras  in the election.  The balloting will start at 8.30 am and continue till 4.30 pm without any break. The election to the city corporation was held on December 21, 2017. The first meeting was held on February 19, 2017. The tenure will end after five years of the first meeting.The meeting also held an elaborate discussion on different local government elections and by-elections in vacant posts. Read more:EC directed to fix new date for Noakhali Zila Parishad election It also decided to hold elections to five municipalities and a number of union parishads on December 29. The five municipalities are—Bagha, Rajshahi, Birol, Dinajpur, Boda, Panchagarh, Alfadanga, Faridpur and Banpara, Natore.

What goes into a day in the life of a mayor? Seventeen-year-old Boishakhi Jhan got the opportunity to find that out for herself on Tuesday when she served as the mayor of Rangpur City Corporation for a day. And that was possible due to child rights NGO Plan International Bangladesh that had approached Rangpur city mayor Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, presenting before him Boishakhi's wish ahead of the International Day of Girl Child on October 11. Read: Cop killed by ‘drug addict’ in Rangpur The initiative was actually part of the NGO's 'Worldwide girl’s takeover campaign’ that aims to encourage teens and young women to nurture a dream of becoming ambitious, Plan International said. On Tuesday, Boishakhi, a resident of Nilphamari district, was greeted by the mayor, the councillors and the civic body staff with flowers as soon as she entered the corporation premises. Later, she got a crash course on the daily routine of the mayor from Mostafizur before finally assuming charge. During the day, she held meetings with the councillors and the staff and took some token decisions. “Symbolically playing the role of the mayor has created a new dream in my life. I got to know about the different divisions of the city corporation and how they work for the welfare of the citizens," said Boishakhi, who stopped five child marriages in her area and taught 20 school dropouts during Covid-19. Read:Child rape and murder case accused arrested in Rangpur Mostafizur also lauded the initiative. "Girls should not refrain from taking up leadership and challenging positions. Leadership, wisdom and patience can make any person achieve success,” he said. Plan International initiates and implements the belief that girls can change their own lives, the society around them if they get equal opportunities and equality, the NGO said.