DNCC mayor by-polls tomorrow

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral by-poll will be held tomorrow (Thursday) seemingly without any hype while the election campaign ended on Tuesday.

In the mayoral race, a total of five candidates- ruling Awami League nominee Atiqul Islam, Jatiya Party's Shafin Ahmed, National People's Party's Anisur Rahman Dewan, Progressive Democratic Party's Shahin Khan and an independent candidate Abdur Rahim. Alongside the mayoral battle, elections will be held for the posts of councillors at the 18 new wards in DNCC and 18 new wards at Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and for six reserved women councillor seats at DNCC and six at DSCC.

Besides, the Election Commission declared the schedule for by-poll of councillor posts in Ward No. 9 and 21 in DNCC to be held tomorrow, said EC Joint Secretary SM Asaduzzaman. However, in Ward No. 9, a sole candidate was elected unopposed. 

The BNP, one of the major political party, boycotted the elections protesting the alleged rigging in the December 30 parliament polls. Their boycott of the city corporation polls caused lack of enthusiasm in the mayoral race. However, the councillor race has seen diametrically opposite picture in terms of electioneering.

The tenure of the DNCC mayor remains only one year as late Mayor Annisul Huq was elected on April 28 in 2015 for a five-year term.
A total of 116 candidates will contest for 18 councillor posts, 45 candidates for six reserved councillors, and seven candidates for Ward No. 21 by-poll in DNCC. In DSCC, a total of 125 candidates will contest for 18 councillor posts and 24 candidates for six reserved councillors.

Meanwhile, the government has declared a public holiday on Thursday in both the DNCC and DSCC areas where the voting is taking place. If there is any schedule for public examination on the day in the electoral areas, then the exam centres and teachers and staff of the respective educational institutes will remain out of purview of the holiday, the Public Administration Ministry stated in two separate circulars on Monday and Tuesday.

The Election Commission has imposed restrictions upon motor vehicles centring the voting in DNCC. As per the restriction, motorbikes cannot ply in the area from today (Wednesday) to Friday and other motorized vehicles including buses, trucks, cars, tempos, auto-rickshaws tomorrow (Thursday), the day of the voting. The EC issued the instruction in a circular on February 13.

In the DNCC mayoral race, 3,035,621 voters will exercise their franchise at 1,295 polling stations while 590,705 voters for Ward councillors in the city corporation. In the DSCC, 496,735 voters will exercise their voting rights for the councillor posts.

The five mayoral candidates of DNCC were seen busy on the last day of campaign on Tuesday. Contacted, AL mayoral candidate Atiqul Islam told the Daily Observer, "I am hopeful about my victory with AL symbol 'boat'. We have achieved victory in the national polls for the 10-year development spree, and I think the people of DNCC will evaluate the development of the AL government in the area. "Though I will get only one year as term, if elected, I will