Chittagong, June 18 (IANS) Mohammed Manjur Alam, backed by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, will be the mayor of Chittagong, the country’s principal port town, it was announced Friday.

This marked a setback for the ruling Awami League that had backed A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury in a bitterly-fought election marked by violence.

The election victory could enthuse opposition leader and two-term prime minister Khaleda Zia, who has vowed to launch protests against the government from June 27.