Dhaka, May 8 -- Lutfur Rahman, the controversial local government leader who formed a new party called Aspire after leaving Labour, has been re-elected executive mayor of Tower Hamlets at the heart of East London for a fourth term.

He defeated Labour's Sirajul Islam by more than 16,000 votes in the Bangladeshi-dominated borough.

Lutfur secured 35,679 votes against Sirajul's 19,454, according to the official result published by Tower Hamlets Council. The turnout was 42.1 percent, with an electorate of 219,030.

Nine candidates contested the mayoral race, held alongside local council elections across London and other parts of England on Thursday.

Lutfur, Britain's first Bangladeshi and Muslim executive mayor, first won the Tower Hamlets ...