Rimi supporters start celebrations

Gazipur, Sep 30 The supporters of ruling Awami League candidate Simeen Hussain Rimi have started celebrations as she is leading by about 33,000 votes in the primary results in 90 of the 102 polling centres in the Gazipur-4 by-polls.
Assistant Returning Officer Muhammad Hasanuzzaman began to announce the primary results just after 6pm from the control room at the Kapasia Upazila Parishad Office.
According to him, Rimi has polled 55,181 votes while her nearest rival renegade Awami League candidate Afsar Uddin Ahmed Khan secured 22,355 votes.
Mohammad Asadullah Badal of the Communist Party of Bangladesh got 1261 votes.
Hasanuzzaman hoped the complete result would be published by 10pm.
Supporters of Rimi started gathering in front of the local Awami League office at Kapasia Bazar from 7:30pm to celebrate her victory.
Awami League MP Tanjim Ahmed, better known as Sohel Taj, son of Bangladesh's first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad, vacated the parliamentary seat after he resigned on July 7.
Sohel Taj's elder sister Rimi is contending with the poll logo of boat, while their uncle, also a local leader of the same party, is contesting as an Independent candidate with the poll logo of rooster.
Badal is contesting with the logo of sickle.
Main opposition BNP has boycotted the election held amid a low turnout. Gazipur-4 constituency is home to 211884 voters, including 111,489 women.
Moments before the voting ended, in a letter sent to the Returning Officer, Afsar Uddin said he rejected the elections.
"I cannot accept the result as the election became a farce. You cannot accept such an election where fake voters cast votes," he said.
However, Rimi said she will accept whatever the results would be.