Jahangir Alam, the suspended mayor of Gazipur City Corporation (GCC), said he would participate in polls if the people of his area want.
“I will not go beyond the people of Gazipur. If they want, I will participate in the election,” he told this correspondent over a telephone conversation on Saturday afternoon.
The ex-mayor, who recently got back Awami League membership, also said: “As a child of Gazipur, I will stand by the people and voters of Gazipur.”
The Awami League on Saturday announced its mayoral candidates for elections to five city corporations – Gazipur, Khulna, Barisal, Rajshahi and Sylhet.
The ruling party nominated Azmat Ullah Khan for Gazipur City Corporation.
Apart from that, Talukder Abdul Khaleque was nominated for Khulna City Corporation, Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury for Sylhet City Corporation, Khairuzzaman Liton for Rajshahi City Corporation, and Abul Khair Abdullah alias Khokon Serniabat for Barisal City Corporation.
The Awami League Local Government Representative Nomination Board, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, picked the candidates for the mayoral race in the upcoming elections.
The Election Commission announced the schedule for the elections to the five city corporations on April 3.
The election to the Gazipur City Corporation will be held on May 25, while in Khulna and Barisal on June 12, and in Rajshahi and Sylhet on June 21.
In September 2021, videos of Jahangir making derogatory comments on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the martyred freedom fighters of the Liberation War at a program went viral on social media.
In a meeting held on November 19 of that year, the ruling Awami League expelled Alam from his position in the party over the incident, which was followed by his suspension as GCC mayor by the local government ministry a few days later over various allegations.
The allegations included illegal land grabbing, not compensating people after taking over land for development and working against the public interest.