With great anticipation and enthusiasm, Zayeda Khatun, the mother of former mayor Zahangir Alam, emerged victorious in the Gazipur City Corporation election, becoming the first female mayor of Gazipur with a triumphant smile. She surpassed her opponent, Azmat Ullah Khan, who ran with the ‘Nouka’ symbol, and secured 238,934 votes.
The result was officially announced by returning officer Faridul Islam in the early hours of Thursday, May 25, 2023.
Who is Zayeda Khatun?
Zayeda Khatun, born on February 10, 1962, in the Kanaiya area of Gazipur City Corporation, faced the unfortunate loss of her husband, Mizanur Rahman, five years ago. She is a mother to two sons and one daughter.
It is noteworthy that Zayeda Khatun has a previous experience as a councilor in the Gazipur City Corporation and has been actively engaged in local politics. However, her decision to participate in the Mayoral election was influenced by the reputation and achievements of her son Zahangir Alam.
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After the official announcement of the election results, the supporters of Zayeda Khatun were seen jubilantly celebrating outside the office of the returning officer and in various locations throughout the city. Zayeda Khatun defeated her nearest competitor Azmat Ullah Khan by a significant margin of 16,197 votes. None of the other candidates came close to challenging their vote count. With this remarkable triumph, Zayeda Khatun made history by becoming the third mayor of Gazipur City Corporation.
Election Stats
Other than Mrs Khatun and Mr Khan, there were other notable candidates such as M. M. Niyaz Uddin from the Jatiya Party, Gaji Ataur Rahman from the Islamic Movement Bangladesh, Raju Ahmed from the Jaker Party, Atikul Islam from Ganofront, Sarkar Shahnoor Islam Roni, and Harunur Rashid. Independent candidate Sarkar Shahnoor Islam secured 7,456 votes in the election. It is worth mentioning that this election marked the third time the Gazipur City Corporation held elections since its establishment in 2013.
The official result announced by the Election Commission shows following result:
| Name | Vote Count | Party |
| Zayeda Khatun | 2,38,934 | Independent |
| Azmat Ullah Khan | 2,22,737 | Bangladesh Awami League |
| Gaji Ataur Rahman | 45,352 | Islami Andolon |
| Sarkar Shah Nur Islam | 23,265 | Independent |
| M. M. Niyaz Uddin | 16,362 | Jatiya Party |
| Atikul Islam | 16,794 | Ganofront |
| Raju Ahmed | 7,206 | Zaker Party |
| Harunur Rashid | 2,426 | Independent |
Festive environment pertained throughout the day
The polls of Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) involved eight candidates competing for the mayoral position and 325 contenders running for councillors’ posts across 57 wards and 11 reserved seats. A total of 1,179,000 voters were registered for the elections.
Voting began at 8 am when polling stations at 480 centres opened their doors to the public. The atmosphere in the city was festive, with enthusiastic voters forming long queues outside the polling centres since the early hours of the day. It was observed that female voter turnout surpassed that of males, indicating their active participation in the democratic process. As the day progressed, the queues at each centre grew even longer, emphasising the citizens’ democratic spirit in Gazipur.
To ensure a smooth voting experience, more than 5,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were deployed. It is worth mentioning that no complaints were received regarding the usage of these machines. Each polling centre had two technical experts present, ready to rectify any potential technical glitches with the EVMs promptly.
The Election Commission (EC) implemented a comprehensive surveillance system for the elections. CCTV cameras were installed at every polling centre and booth, with a total of 4,435 cameras employed to closely monitor the proceedings in 466 polling booths. To provide constant surveillance, an auto-rotated digital display system was utilized. The Election Commissioners, Brigadier General Retired Ahsan Habib Khan, Md Alamgir, Rashida Sultana, and Anisur Rahman, closely monitored the election from a central control room and reported that the voting process was disciplined and peaceful. Independent mayoral candidate Zayeda Khatun also praised the orderly conduct and lawfulness of the process.
To ensure a peaceful election, a robust security detail was deployed throughout the GCC area. This included 57 executive magistrates stationed across the 57 wards, as well as a strong presence of various law enforcement agencies, such as the police, Ansar and village police, the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). In addition, 30 RAB teams, 13 BGB platoons, 19 striking teams, and 57 mobile police teams were deployed to enhance security.
Voting concluded at 4 pm, and Election Commissioner Md Alamgir noted an increase in voter turnout while confirming that the polling process proceeded peacefully. Now, the focus shifts to the counting process and the eagerly awaited declaration of results, marking the next stage in the electoral process.
Candidates’ opinions on the election
During the peaceful voting process, Zahangir, Zayeda’s son and chief election coordinator also, alleged that their agents were prevented from accessing many polling centres. Zahangir, the suspended GCC mayor, made these claims after voting at Kanaiya Primary School in ward-30. Zayeda, running with the table clock symbol, stated that she would accept the election results if they were fair after casting her vote at the same center. Azmat Ullah, after voting at the Darus Salam Madrassah center in Tongi, Gazipur, expressed his commitment to accepting the people’s mandate and his confidence in victory.
Election Commissioner M Alamgir reported that approximately 50% of the 1.2 million voters in the GCC exercised their franchise, and the Election Commission was highly satisfied with the conduct of the Gazipur City Corporation elections. Alamgir stated his satisfaction, citing media reports, voter satisfaction, candidate satisfaction, and the overall fairness of the election during a press briefing at his office in Dhaka after the completion of the balloting.
Some polling centres encountered difficulties with the electronic voting machines (EVMs), such as failure to read and identify voters’ fingerprints, resulting in delays. EC Alamgir addressed the issue, explaining that the same rules applied to both the ballot and EVM voting. He acknowledged that some people may have difficulty understanding EVMs, contributing to the slowdown but stated that it was not the sole reason for the delays.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman stated that the EVMs took some time as they were a relatively new technology for the people. Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam commented on the peaceful nature of the voting process, noting the spontaneous turnout of people at the polling centres and their adherence to the Election Commission’s code of conduct.
Jillur Rahman, a voter at Joydebpur Government Girls School, expressed his happiness at being able to cast his vote, having arrived early at the polling center. It is worth mentioning that no candidate from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) contested for the mayoral post. Sarkar Shah Nur Islam Roni, the son of BNP leader Nurus Islam Sarkar, who received the death penalty for the murder of Awami League leader Ahsanullah Master, ran as a candidate with the elephant symbol.
