AL favourites 36, BNP 27, Jamaat 7, others 8 – After its successive poor show in the first two phases of elections, the ruling Awami League took a lead in the third phase of upazila polls held on Saturday with its favourites winning in 36 upazilas closing the gap against its archrival BNP that won in 27 upazilas.Besides, seven candidates loyal to Jamaat-e-Islami and five independent chairman candidates, including four known as AL rebel and one BNP rebel also became winners in the upazila polls. The third phase local body election was held in 81 upazilas across the 41 districts amid widespread violence that left two people dead in Bagerhat and Shariatpur districts. With Saturday’s election results, the number of AL-backed chairman candidate winners rose to 113 while that of BNP to 122 and Jamaat to 27. The upazilas where the chairman candidates, loyal to the Awami League, won are Morelganj, Sadar, Mongla, Rampal and Sharankhola of Bagerhat, Muladi and Babuganj of Barisal, Bhola sadar, Nangalkot, Chauddagram and Brahmanpara of Comilla, Kachuya of Chandpur, Sitakunda of Chittagong, Dinajpur Sadar, Alfadanga, Sadar and Sadarpur of Faridpur, Daganbhuiyan of Feni, Monirampur of Jessore, Dewanganj of Jamalpur, Chilmari and Sadar of Kurigram, Hossainpur of Kishoreganj, Barlekha of Moulvibazar, Nilphamari sadar, Porsha of Naogaon, Lohagora of Narail, Netrakona Sadar, Durgapur of Rajshahi, Kaukhali of Rangamati, Kaliganj of Satkhira, Naria and Sadar of Shariatpur, Sreewardi of Sherpur, Dakkhin Surma of Sylhet and Dhanbari of Tangail. The BNP favourites won in Alikadam and Sadar of Bandarban, Nabinagar of Brahmanbaria, Homna, Burichang and Titas of Comilla, Bholahat of Chapainawabganj, Madhukhali and Charbhadrasan of Faridpur, Sadullahpur of Gaibandha, Akkelpur of Joypurhat, Paikgachha of Khulna, Kuliarchar and Sadar of Kishoreganj, Kamalnagar of Laxmipur, Aditamari of Lalmonirhat Ghioir of Manikganj, Fulbaria, Gouripur and Fulpur of Mymensingh, Mohanganj of Netrakona, Nesarabad of Pirojpur, Godagari and Charghat of Rajshahi, Jamalganj of Sunamganj, Haripur of Thakurgaon and Delduar of Tangail. Jamaat candidates won the polls in Shibganj and Sadar of Chapainawabganj, Nawabganj of Dinajpur, Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga, Gaibandha sadar, Manda and Damurhat of Naogaon. Four AL rebels won in Roumari of Kurigram, Bhanga of Faridpur, Dhobaura of Mymensingh and Tungipara of Gopalganj while BNP rebel in Senbag of Noakhali and an LDP-backed candidate won in Chandanaish of Chittagong. Besides, JSS-backed candidates came out victorious in Barkal and Baghaichhari of Rangamati. Meanwhile, the election result of Haziganj of Chandpur, Hizla of Barisal and Muktagachha of Mymensingh was not declared. Earlier, the voting in the 81 upazilas of 41 districts was held from 8am to 4pm amid widespread violence that killed two people in Bagerhat and Shariatpur districts and injured scores of others. The violence forced the suspension of voting in 26 polling stations in 13 upazilas, said sources at the Election Commission. Last month, the EC arranged elections in 212 upazila parishads — 98 in the first phase and 114 in the second phase. In the two phases, the candidates loyal to BNP took the chairman posts in 95 upazilas while that of Awami League in 77 and Jamaat in 20 upazilas. – UNB, Dhaka.
