Taimur Alam Khandaker, the defeated independent candidate in the Narayanganj City Corporation mayoral election, termed his defeat as the defeat of the government on Sunday. He made the remarks in a press briefing after his defeat was ascertained by the landslide victory of Awami League mayoral candidate Selina Hayat Ivy on Sunday evening. Taimur said, “The defeat was of the government, not ours.” He said it all started from arresting his chief coordinator at Siddhirganj police station and after that everyday his supporters had been arrested. Also read: NCC Polls: Ivy rewrites history with a hat-trick “While filing case against them they were identified as Hefazat-e-Islam members even though many of them were Hindu by religion,” he said. Taimur claimed from Sunday morning eight people were arrested who were in his support including his Bandar upazila coordinator. Besides, numerous raids were conducted including at his chief polling agent’s house, he said. “In these circumstances it’s hard for an independent candidate to survive anyway.” Taimur said in many centres Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were defective and slow, due to which many voters couldn’t cast their vote and it only contributed more to his defeat. He said, “The game was government vs public and also government vs Taimur.” Ivy, the country’s first female city mayor, also became the first person ever to be elected thrice as mayor of any city in the country, as she secured a landslide victory by a margin of 69, 102 votes over Taimur. Also read: NCC polls: Voting underway amid tight security She bagged 1,61,273 votes while her nearest contestant Taimur Alam polled 92, 171. Returning officer Mahfuza Akter announced the results on Sunday evening, a few hours after voting ended. Voting had continued past 4pm due to the slow pace of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and the presence of voters in some centres of Bandar upazila.

BNP on Monday pulled out Taimur Alam Khandaker from its chairperson’s advisory council as he is contesting the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) election as an independent mayoral candidate defying the party decision. Taimur was informed of the party’s action through a letter signed by party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in the afternoon without assigning any reason for removing him from the post. On December 26 last, Taimur was also relieved from the post of convener of Narayanganj district unit BNP. He is, however, still the party’s primary member. Contacted, Rizvi said Taimur’s name was withdrawn from the BNP chairperson’s advisory council as per the decision of party high command. Also read: Govt faces collapse under weight of ‘misdeeds’: BNP He declined to elaborate the reason behind the party’s punitive action. A senior BNP leader, wishing anonymity, said their party has a decision not to join any polls under the Awami League government. “That’s why our party has long been boycotting local body polls. But Taimur Alam Khandaker didn’t comply with the party's decision.” As Taimur has been there in the Narayanganj city polls race as an independent candidate, he said, their party has decided to withdraw him from an important post of party chairperson’s adviser. Sought his comment on the party’s action, Taimur said, “I have the respect for the decision of the party…I welcome it. I earlier quit the election race in 2011 as per the party’s directives. I heard that a move was there in favour of the ruling party candidate. I think the action was taken against me this time as well for the same reason.” Also read: Khulna’s Manju relieved from BNP position He said he is now a candidate of the people of Narayanganj city. "Now I’ve no guardian. I’m guardian of myself and my people. I’ll remain there in the election race till the end.” Taimur was made a member of the BNP chairperson’s advisory council after the party’s sixth national council held in March, 2016. The Narayanganj City Corporation polls are scheduled to be held on January 16. Taimur is vying for the post of the mayor with the election symbol ‘Elephant’’. Incumbent mayor Selina Hayat Ivy is contesting the polls with Awami League’s election symbol “Boat’. Taimur was also there in the Narayanganj City Corporation polls in 2011 but he stayed away from the voting as per party decision at that time.