RANGPUR, Dec 21 (UNB): Jatiya Party candidate Mostafizur Rahman won the Rangpur City Corporation polls defeating his nearest rival Awami League contender Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu by a huge margin in the election held in a peaceful manner on Thursday.
According to the unofficial result, Mostafiz bagged 1,60,489 votes while Jhantu polled 62,400 votes and BNP candidate Kawsar Jahan Babla got only 35,136 votes.
Returning officer of the election Suvash Chandra Sarkar announced Mostafizur Rahman unofficially elected around 12:10 am.
In the maiden election to the city held in 2012, Sarfuddin bagged 106,255 votes while Mostafiz polled 77,835, Jatiya Party-backed AKM Abdur Rouf Manik got 37,208 votes and BNP-backed Babla bagged only 21,235 votes.
However, the 2012 election was held in a non-partisan manner unlike this election.
The voting was held from 8am to 4pm without any break at 193 polling stations in the city corporation in a peaceful atmosphere with the good turnout of voters.
A total of 3,93,994 voters -- 1,96,356 men and 1,97,638 women -- were supposed to cast votes to elect one mayor, 33 ward councillors and 11 councillors to the reserved seats of women in the election.
The Election Commission termed Rangpur City Corporation polls a 'model election' saying that it was held amid a festive mood.
"The Rangpur City Corporation election was held in a festive mood. We earlier promised to hold a model election there. This has been a model election finally," Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam told a post-election briefing at the city's Nirbachan Bhaban.
