Editorial
Message from Comilla election
Maturity from all sides is welcome
Let's begin by congratulating Monirul Haque Sakku on his resounding success in the mayoral poll to Comilla City Corporation. Significantly, both the process of election and its outcome have vindicated maturity and reliability in the conduct of such polls falling in a heartening pattern.
Speaking of the trend we recall that in by-elections to Brahmanbaria and Hobiganj seats vacated by deceased Awami League MPs, the former was retained by Awami League but the latter, a long time stronghold of the AL, was lost to a BNP winner. Coming to mayoral election in Chittagong similarly popular verdict replaced an AL incumbent by a BNP-backed candidate.
Equally free and fair has been the election to Narayanganj City Corporation set in the backdrop of a stormy situation which returned Selina Hayat Ivy in preference to Shamim Osman, who was openly backed by the AL.
Now, we have had the mayoral election to Comilla City Corporation in a transparent manner with Nagorik Committee-backed candidate Monirul Haque Sakku defeating the AL contender by a huge margin.
Both the ruling party supporters and those of Nagorik Committee behaved responsibly and well to let the people exercise their choice freely. The turn-out was record high and the EVM procedure applied at all polling booths with considerable success. The tight security arrangements, a vigilant district administration and efficient synchronisation in the conduct of the polls by the Election Commission ensured success of Comilla mayoral election. Our felicitations to all of them.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government can take credit for a hands-off approach to polls allowing free and unfettered expression of popular verdict. At the same time, she cannot have missed the message of a declining popularity mirrored by the recent poll verdicts. A similar reflection comes through the latest Daily Star opinion survey on the government's performance at the end of its third year. So the message for the AL is that the party pull up its socks in the remainder two years of its tenure to turn a corner, especially in terms of governance including protecting human rights, curbing corruption and injudicious expenditure and cushioning high prices.
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