2020 Dhaka South City Corporation election
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31.13 pp)
19.4 pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 February 2020
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| Registered | 24,53,194 ( 31.13 pp) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 29.00% ( 19.4 pp) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 February 2020 100 seats in the Dhaka South City Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2020 Dhaka South City Corporation election was a local government election held in Dhaka, on 1 February 2020 to elect the Mayor of South Dhaka and the City Council. A total of 6 candidates contested the mayoral race. The result was a victory for the Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh. In the 100 member City Council, the Awami League won 81 seats, while the BNP won 9 seats, and the remaining seats were won by others. However, the results were rejected by the main opposition candidate, Ishraque Hossain of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. This election was marred by violence and it was not seen as a free, fair and credible election. Later in 2024, after ruling Awami League regime fell, vote rigging by Awami League was confirmed in this election.[1][2][3]
It was one of the first major election in Bangladesh conducted entirely using electronic voting machines (EVMs) alongside the 2020 Dhaka North City Corporation election. Previously the country had made only limited use of EVMs. The ruling party, the Awami League supported the adoption of EVMs. Leaders of other parties including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders said they feared the machines would be used for vote rigging. One concern expressed was that the machines do not have a voter-verified paper audit trail.[4][5][6]
Awami League
The 2020 Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) election saw major political parties focus on urban governance and civic problems faced by residents of south Dhaka. Key campaign themes included traffic congestion, corruption, poor waste management, mosquito control, and long-standing waterlogging issues.
The ruling Bangladesh Awami League nominated Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh as its mayoral candidate. Taposh campaigned on improving drainage systems, reducing waterlogging, expanding waste collection capacity, and modernizing the city’s administrative services. He promised large-scale infrastructure renovation, canal recovery, road repairs, and stronger mosquito-control measures throughout the corporation.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party nominated Ishraque Hossain as its mayoral candidate. His campaign emphasized corruption allegations against the incumbent administration, pledging a transparent and accountable city government. Ishraque highlighted chronic problems such as broken roads, traffic congestion, inadequate footpaths, poor sanitation, and frequent dengue outbreaks. He promised improved road safety, better waste management, enhanced drainage, and modern pedestrian facilities including footbridges with lifts.
Other issues
Across parties, common voter concerns included:
- severe traffic congestion and lack of integrated transport planning
- poor solid-waste disposal and irregular garbage collection
- widespread mosquito infestation leading to dengue and chikungunya
- persistent waterlogging due to clogged drains and encroached canals
- air pollution, dust, and lack of green public spaces
Election environment
The election was conducted entirely with Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), making it one of the earliest large-scale EVM-only elections in Bangladesh. Voter turnout was relatively low, reflecting concerns over electoral transparency, voter apathy, and urban mobility problems on election day.
Candidates
The election was mainly contested between candidates of the two major political parties in Bangladesh:
| Party | Flag | Symbol | Candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh Awami League |  |
 |
Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh | |
| Bangladesh Nationalist Party |  |
 |
Ishraque Hossain | |
Other minor candidates from smaller parties and independent candidates also participated.
Timeline
| Poll Event | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Official declaration from the Election Commission | 22 December 2019 |
| Declaration of the schedule | 22 December 2019 |
| Application deadline for candidates | 31 December 2019 |
| Scrutiny of nomination | 2 January 2020 |
| Last Date for Withdrawal of nomination | 9 January 2020 |
| Symbol allocation | 10 January 2020 |
| Start of campaign period | 10 January 2020 |
| End of campaign period | 30 January 2020 |
| Date of Poll | 1 February 2020 |
| Date of Counting of Votes | 1 February 2020 |
