Gazipur, Bangladesh (BBN)- Voting at Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) began with enthusiastic participations of voters especially women at 8:00am on Saturday amid festive mood and tight security measures.
Seven candidates are contesting for the mayor post of the GCC. Of them, Advocate Ajmat Ullah Khan and Professor MA Mannan are the front runners.
A total of 456 candidates are vying for 57 councillor posts while 128 for 19 councillor posts (reserved) in the city corporation.
Except a city mayor, voters will also elect 76 councillors to run their city for the next five years.
The queues of women are long than the men, according to reports.
Voting will continue till 4:00pm without any break.
As Gazipur city goes to polls just a few months ahead of the general election, the political camp which will win it will boost and help challenge its rival in the coming days.
For the mayoral office, Ajmat Ullah Khan is running with Awami League support and MA Mannan with BNP backing. Five other candidates are also vying for the post but they are not seen as frontrunners.
A number of 392 polling stations have been set up for 1.026 million voters.
Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Ajmat Ullah Khan cast his vote around 9:00am at Little Flower School centre in Gazipur.
After casting votes, briefing newsmen he expressed his optimism to be elected as the people of Tongi loves him.
He also expressed his satisfaction terming the election process as peaceful.
Meanwhile BNP-supported candidate MA Mannan also cast his vote at Salna Islamia Fazil Degree Madrasa centre around 9:30am.
More than 11,000 law enforcers including members of Border Guard Bangladesh and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have been deployed to ensure safe and peaceful conduct of voting in the first GCC election.
The Election Commission (EC) has appointed its 19 officers from different parts of the country as poll observers, an EC high official said.
Besides, 50 executive magistrates and 10 judicial magistrates have been working in the corporation areas with striking force and powers to hold summary trials.
BBN/SSR/AD-06July13-11:04 am (BST)
