By Mizan Rahman

Dhaka

Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) along with its ally Jamaat-e-Islami made significant gains in the second phase sub-district council polls held across Bangladesh on Thursday.

Latest results showed the BNP winning 51 seats out of 115 in sub-district council chairmen (upazila parishads) polls followed by the Jamaat-e-Islami with eight seats. The ruling Awami League (AL) secured 45 seats.

The BNP-Jamaat combine is leading 37 seats over the ruling party in the first two phases.

The Awami League-endorsed candidates won in 45 sub-districts in the second phase. It had won at 34 sub-districts out of total 97 in the first phase.

Results of Sirajganj’s Tarash, Barisal Sadar, Comilla’s Laksham, and Bagerhat’s Fakirhat sub-districts have not been declared. Polling at 11 centres at Barisal Sadar, two at Laksham, and one at Tarash had been
suspended.

Though the winner of the vice chairman’s post at Faikrhat has been decided, the result of the chairman poll has been withheld as voting was suspended at one of the centres.

Laws require the local government election to be non-political, but the political parties pervade all aspects of it, from fielding candidates to running campaigns and even
pronouncing their own victories.

Moreover, with only about two months after the national election which the BNP boycotted, the sub-district elections are being seen as a test of popularity of the leading political parties.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia had reportedly asked her party leaders to do ‘everything they could’ to help the 19-party alliance candidates win the sub-district
council elections.

Polling was halted in all the 117 centres in Noakhali Sadar and 34 centres in other sub-districts due to violence.

A man was killed in a clash between police and Jamaat supporters in Noakhali’s Sonaimurhi area. Reports of violence also came in from Bagerhat, Jessore and Thakurgaon.

Alleging irregularities, BNP candidates in Cox’s Bazar, Barisal Sadar, Munshiganj Sadar, Noakhali’s Companyganj and Kabirhat, Jessore’s Sharsha and Kushtia’s Mirpur sub-districts boycotted the polls and called for a shutdown.

The BNP-backed candidates won a total of 96 chairman posts in the first two phases while the number was 20 for Jamaat.