SYLHET, Jan 8, 2026 (BSS) – Nearly five years after the 2021 Kanaighat municipal election, the Sylhet Election Tribunal has overturned the previous results, finding clear evidence of vote rigging and fraud. 

Judge Bishweshwar Singh of the Sylhet Joint District and Sessions Court and Election Tribunal delivered the landmark judgment on Wednesday, declaring independent candidate Md. Sohel Amin as the elected Mayor. 

The court has ordered the Election Commission to publish a formal gazette notification declaring Amin the winner within the next seven days.

The court’s decision follows a physical recount conducted on November 10, which revealed a massive discrepancy in the previous tallies. While the initial 2021 results claimed the Awami League candidate had won, the recount proved that Sohel Amin, contesting with the "Jug" symbol, actually received 684 more votes than his nearest rival.

The 2021 election, held on February 14, saw Lutfur Rahman, the President of the Upazila Awami League, declared the winner with the "Boat" symbol. At the time, Rahman was reported to have won by a margin of 146 votes, a result that Sohel Amin immediately challenged in the Election Tribunal, citing specific instances of rigging at three polling centers.

Upon the announcement of the verdict, Sohel Amin expressed his satisfaction, stating that truth has prevailed. 

He further alleged that the results were forcibly snatched during the 2021 elections due to the political influence of the then-ruling Awami League government.

According to official records from the 2021 election, the then-Returning Officer Faisal Kader had declared Lutfur Rahman the winner with 3,832 votes, while Sohel Amin was placed second with 3,686 votes. Rahman held the mayoral office based on the figures until he was removed in August 2024.

The tribunal's ruling effectively corrects a five-year-old electoral injustice, confirming that the initial declaration of the "Boat" symbol candidate as the winner was entirely illegal.