BNP leader declared Kanaighat mayor in revised gazette 5 years after polls

Five years after the 2021 Kanaighat Municipality election in Sylhet, the results have been overturned following a lawsuit alleging vote rigging.

After a court-ordered recount revealed irregularities, the Election Commission issued a revised gazette on 2 March, nearly five years after the election, declaring Md Sohel Amin, relief affairs secretary of Kanaighat Upazila BNP, the mayor of that municipality.

The court order confirmed that the candidate originally declared the winner under the "Boat" symbol of the Awami League, whose activities are currently banned, had actually won through vote rigging.

The Election Commission's decision to officially recognise Sohel Amin, who was forcibly defeated at the time, became public on Saturday.

The revised gazette, signed by Mohammad Monir Hossain, deputy secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat, said that the name of Lutfur Rahman, who was declared elected at that time, has been cancelled and replaced by the name of Md Sohel Amin.

Earlier, BNP leader Sohel Amin filed a lawsuit immediately after the election, demanding a recount due to allegations of irregularities and rigging.

It was reported that Sohel was shown defeated by undercounting his votes, and the "Boat" symbol candidate, Lutfur Rahman, was declared the elected mayor by a margin of 146 votes. However, a court-ordered recount on 10 November revealed that Sohel had actually won by a margin of 684 votes.

Following the legal proceedings, Judge Bishweshwar Singh of the Sylhet Joint District and Sessions Court and Election Tribunal delivered a verdict on 7 January 2026, declaring the "independent" candidate Sohel the winner and ordering the Election Commission to publish the gazette.

Following the publication of the gazette as per the court's verdict, Sohel expressed his satisfaction, saying, "Despite receiving more votes in the election, the results were forcibly snatched away at that time through the influence of the ruling Awami League. Declaring the Upazila Awami League president, Lutfur Rahman, as the winner was completely illegal. I filed a case with the Election Tribunal against that result. Based on specific allegations of vote rigging and fraud in three centres, the court ordered a recount and found evidence."

"Now that the revised gazette has been published, I expect the Ministry of Local Government will arrange the oath-taking ceremony. I hope to assume the responsibilities of mayor very soon," he added.

According to official records from the 2021 election, the then Returning Officer Faisal Kader had declared Lutfur Rahman the winner with 3,832 votes, while Sohel Amin was placed second with 3,686 votes. 

Rahman held the mayoral office based on these figures until he was removed in August 2024.