Former Mayor Jahangir Alam's mother Zayeda Khatun defeated Awami League candidate Azmat Ulla Khan by 16 thousand 197 votes in Gazipur City Corporation election. In this, Zayda Khatun was elected as the second woman mayor among the city corporations of the country.

Zayeda Khatun got 2 lakh 38 thousand 934 votes in the Gazipur city election held on Thursday (May 25). Her nearest rival Advocate Azmat Ullah Khan got 2 lakh 22 thousand 737 votes.

Selina Hyatt Ivy is the first woman city mayor in the country. In 2011, she won the Narayanganj City Corporation election as an independent candidate. Zayda is the second woman mayor of the city corporation after Ivy.

According to the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, Zayda Khatun was born on February 10, 1962. Her educational qualification is 'Self-taught'. Her profession is shown to be business. Annual income from business is Taka 3 lakh 45 thousand taka. Taka 35 lakh cash in movable assets.

Taka 50 thousand is deposited in the bank. The investment in the factory is Taka 2 lakh 50 thousand. She owns 30 tolas gold ornaments. She is the owner of electronic goods worth Tk. 1 lakh 50 thousand and furniture worth Tk. 1 lakh 50 thousand. She has no immovable assets.

Zayda Khatun was not seen in the field of politics before filing nomination paper. She came into politics mainly based on the image of his son Jahangir Alam. Jahangir is also the former General Secretary of Gazipur Metropolitan Awami League. He could not serve a full term as city mayor.

Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said that the Election Commission is determined to ensue free and fair elections.

This was said by the Chief Election Commissioner while talking to the journalists after a discussion meeting with concerned officers, executive magistrates and law enforcement officers on the occasion of the Barisal City Corporation elections in the circuit house of Barisal Nagar on Sunday (May 28) afternoon.

He said, the instructions to the law and order forces are that the election should be fair and law and order should be maintained. If they are up to the challenge then that is up to them.

But we will not tolerate it. If there is any challenge, you have to face it, if there is any disruption of law and order; they (forces) have to take the responsibility. We believe they have that professional capacity.

The CEC said that the aim of our election commission is that voters come to vote in any election without fear and they enter the polling station and exercise their right to vote freely.

Whom they will vote for, who wins, who lost is none of our business. But we are committed to fulfilling the responsibility of ensuring the voting rights of the voters.

Kazi Habibul Awal said, "We have done a good election, but many people will not believe it." There should be a transparency or acceptance of whether the election was good or not.

That's why the media will take pictures, show them, they will collect information, they will broadcast. In this, the people will know how free and impartial the election has been through the media.

He said, we have discussed with the administration, we have discussed the instructions given by the Election Commission. Law and order should be maintained during the election, and the electoral code of conduct should be implemented. Candidates should follow them and see if they are followed, if not forced to follow them.

The CEC said that the environment on the election day should be kept favorable so that men and women can freely exercise their right to vote in the elections to be held in the coming days.

At that time Election Commissioner Ahsan Habib Khan, Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Jahangir Alam, Barishal Divisional Commissioner Amin Ul Ahsan, Barishal Range DIG SM Aktaruzzaman, Barisal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Saiful Islam, RAB-8 Barishal Commander Lt. Colonel Mahamudul Hasan, Deputy Commissioner of Barishal Jahangir Hossain, City Election Returning Officer Humayun Kabir and senior administration officials were present.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for a firm commitment from international organizations including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to ensure the safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas.

The Prime Minister made this comment during a courtesy call on OIC Secretary General Hissain Brahim at Ganabhaban on Sunday (May 28).

After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the journalists.

Sheikh Hasina wished for a strong commitment from the OIC member countries to send the Rohingyas home and help them solve their problems, said that they had given shelter to the Rohingyas for humanitarian reasons and called on the OIC member countries to collect funds for the Rohingyas.

She said, there is religious harmony in Bangladesh and people are living in peace. The OIC Secretary General stated that the Rohingya issue is a priority issue for the OIC, adding that the Rohingya are deprived of their rights.

In the meeting, OIC Secretary General said that Bangladesh is an important country for OIC. Bangladesh is playing an important role in OIC. She also recalled the great contribution of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in establishing international peace.

The OIC Secretary General congratulated the Prime Minister on the 50th anniversary of Bangabandhu’s receiving the Julio Currie Peace Award for his contribution to world peace.

In the meeting, Prime Minister's Ambassador At- large Mohammad Ziauddin, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Mia and Foreign Secretary (Marine Affairs Unit) Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md. Khurshed Alam were present.

OIC Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Askar Musinov was also present.

OIC Secretary General Hisen Brahim Taha arrived in Dhaka on Saturday on a five-day visit. As Chancellor of Islamic University of Technology (IUT), he will attend the 35th convocation of IUT on May 30.

Referring to China as one of Bangladesh's main development partners, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the main focus of bilateral relations should be the further development of the two countries.

China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister at Ganobhaban on Sunday. At that time, the Prime Minister said, 'Our main goal in bilateral relations between the two countries should be how we can develop the country.'

After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the journalists.

The Chinese minister said that China is interested in strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh in various sectors, especially renewable energy and hi-tech.

He said, 'There is a possibility of further cooperation in this field.'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has allocated land in Bangladesh Economic Zone for Chinese entrepreneurs and they can set up industries there.

China's Deputy Minister congratulated Sheikh Hasina on behalf of the Chinese President and Prime Minister.

Appreciating the development of Bangladesh, he said that he visited Bangladesh about 10 years ago. However, this time Bangladesh has seen much better.

He said, Bangladesh has experienced unprecedented development under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

He said he visited the Padma Bridge and five other projects built with the help of China in Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister also extended his personal greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

She said that around 6,000 Bangladeshi students are studying in China and many of them have returned to the country during the Covid pandemic.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the Chinese government for helping Bangladeshi students return to the country after the pandemic to continue their studies.

At this time, the Prime Minister's Ambassador-at-Large Mohammad Ziauddin, the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Mia, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maritime Affairs Unit) Rear Admiral (Retd) Md. Khurshed Alam and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen were present.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong arrived in Dhaka on Friday night on a two-day official visit.

A letter with a video of BNP leaders' provocative speech has been sent by Awami League executive committee member Mohammad A. Arafat to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

He said this through a Facebook post on Friday. BNP Secretary General Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP Standing Committee Member and Head of Foreign Affairs Committee Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP Vice Chairman Aman Ullah Aman, BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain's speech has been mentioned in the letter, reports Daily Ittefaq newspaper.

This incident happened at a time when Bangladesh is preparing for the next general elections.

Source: Bangladesh Live News