AL candidates sweep polls as people want dev: Quader.

The ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP came up with contentious claims on the municipal polls as the former bagged most seats also in the second-phase voting, 46 out of 60 mayoral seats. Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader Monday said his party candidates clinched sweeping victories in the second- phase municipal polls, too, as the people want the country's development and progress. On the other hand, BNP told a press briefing that the voting was "marred by massive violence" as ruling-party men controlled booths. "Our candidates' agents were beaten, driven out of centres. There was no action despite allegations lodged with presiding officers," said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at the press meet. Quader said, 'The second-phase municipality polls witnessed massive voter turnout. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is maintaining the trend of development in all sectors. As the people want more development works from the government, AL candidates attained landslide victories." He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of a four-day workshop on fire safety joining it virtually from his official residence on the parliament premises here. He said BNP candidates also gained victory in the municipalities where they remained active and popular. "Even two rebel candidates of BNP also clinched victory," he said, adding that now BNP is finding no flaws and claiming that the vote margin was bigger. "It is natural that the AL candidates won the polls in large margin because of the government's unprecedented developments and achievements", he said. He went on saying that BNP has no positive things to seek vote from the people. Quader said, "Those who carried out arson attacks to kill people and made the country world champion in corruption have nothing to say to the people for seeking vote." BNP has lost voters' confidence...