Narayanganj, Bangladesh (BBN)- Awami League mayoral candidate Dr Salina Hayat Ivy was unofficially reelected mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) on Thursday with a margin of 79, 567 votes.
Ivy bagged 175,611 votes while her contestant BNP nominee Sakhawat got 96,044, according to unofficial results, announced by Returning Officer Nuruzzaman Talukdar at his temporary office at Narayanganj Club around 11:25pm (local time).
A total of 2, 96, 036 voters out of 4,79,392 cast their votes to elect the city mayor, 27 ward councillors and nine women councillors from reserved seats.
Besides, 156 general councillor candidates contested the election in 27 wards, while there were 38 councillor contenders in nine reserved seats.
Ivy has been re-elected as the mayor of NCC for the second consecutive term.
The voter turnout, especially of female one, was huge as people were seen standing in long queues to cast their votes. Though the presence of female voters was high in the morning, it decreased to some extent at noon.
Sakhawat Hossain Khan cast his vote at NarayanganjAdarshaSchool polling centre at Jamtala of Majdair area in the morning while Ivy cast her vote at ShishubaghPrimary School polling centre in Paschim Deubhog area around 9:45 am.
It is the country's first city election that was held along the political party line.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said the NCC election was held in a free and fair manner due to proper support of the candidates and their followers.
The CEC came up with the remark while addressing a post-election press conference at the Election Commission after the end of voting at 4:00 pm.
The city corporation is comprised of 27 wards under two upazilas (sub-district) -- Sadar and Bandar-- and four police stations -- Narayanganj, Bandar, Siddhirganj and Fatullah.
BBN/SSR/AD