UZ polls: AL wins in Hizla, BNP Muktagachha

Awami League-backed candidate was unofficially elected chairman in Hizla upazila of Barisal while BNP-supported contender in Muktagachha of Mymensingh after voting in the suspended centres on Thursday. In Hizla, AL-blessed chairman candidate Sultan Mahmud Tipu won the upazila (UZ) election after Thursday’s balloting in three polling stations. Voting of three polling centres out of 30 was suspended during the third phase of UZ polls in 81 UZs on March 15. Tipu, also AL upazila unit president, polled 13,875 votes while his nearest rival BNP-backed Dewan Shahidul Islam got 8,240. In the three polling stations, Tipu bagged 6,702 votes out of 9,027 while Shahidul, who boycotted the polls on Thursday morning, got only 13 and BNP rebel Abdul Gaffar Talukdar secured 77 votes. In Muktagachha, BNP-blessed Zakaria Harun unofficially won the post of chairman of the UZ after voting in three polling stations ended on Thursday. Harun bagged 80,509 votes in 104 polling stations while his nearest rival AL favourite Billal Hossain obtained 74,522. The voting of the three stations was postponed due to violence also during the 3rd round balloting in the 4th UZ polls, according to UNB.