RANGPUR, Dec 23, 2017 (BSS) – Terming peaceful Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) polls as free, fair, transparent and impartial, local academicians, politicians and common people opined for adopting the RpCC polls as role model for national elections.
Despite defeat of Awami League (AL)-nominated mayoral post candidate Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu to Jatiya Party (JP)-nominated Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, image of the government has improved through impartial holding of the RpCC polls, they said.
President of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and former Vice-president of FBCCI Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu thanked the Election Commission (EC), government and administrations concerned for holding the RpCC polls peacefully in an impartial manner.
“The defeat of AL-nominated mayor candidate Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu in the RpCC polls is not a defeat of AL at all as the voters counted performance and negative activities of AL-candidate Jhantu as mayor during the past five years,” he said.
“The RpCC poll results and defeat of AL-nominated mayoral post candidate will have no impact on national elections,” Babu said, adding that the RpCC poll has proved abilities and commitments of the EC and government to hold impartial and credible elections.
Associate Professor of Begum Rokeya University Dr Tuhin Wadud said the Election Commission (EC) and the government have set up a real example in holding the RpCC polls peacefully in a completely impartial manner.
“However, the grand alliance member Jatiya Party may go to a hard bargaining with ruling party AL now on sharing of seats in the upcoming general elections taking advantage of winning the RpCC polls,” Tuhin added.
Rangpur city unit President of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission Fakhrul Anam Benzu the EC and authorities concerned in association with the common people have set up a glaring example through holding RpCC polls in a completely credible manner.
“The RpCC polls were 100 percent free, fair, transparent and impartial in all aspects,” Benzu said suggesting the EC, government, politicians and policy-makers of the country should think to adopt the RpCC election as a role model for all national elections.
Talking to BSS, mayor-elect Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa termed the RpCC polls as free, fair, impartial and transparent and complete reflection of the choice of the common voters of Rangpur city.
He also thanked the EC, present government led by Prime Minsiter Sheikh Hasina, local administrations, law enforcement agencies and all concerned authorities and common people of Rangpur for holding the RpCC polls peacefully and impartially.
Talking to reporters this afternoon, AL-nominated mayor candidate Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu declined to comment on his defeat in the RpCC polls and said he would go to the house of mayor-elect Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa soon to congratulate him.
Young voter Rafiul Islam and local observer Rameswar Barman said the RpCC polls were held peacefully in a free, fair and impartial manner and criticised BNP for smelling ‘conspiracy’ in the polls after huge defeat of its mayoral post candidate.