The Awami League has nominated former BGMEA president Atiqul Islam to contest the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral by-polls, while Syeda Zakia Nur Lipi, sister of late Awami League leader Syed Ashraful Islam, has got the ticket for re-election in Kishoreganj 1 constituency.
The two were selected at the joint meeting of the ruling party’s parliamentary and local government selection boards held at Ganabhaban, the prime minister’s official residence, on Saturday night.
The party also selected 30 candidates for the upcoming union parishad elections, a member of the local government selection board confirmed.
The Election Commission has fixed February 28 for the DNCC mayoral by-election, as well as the polls to elect councillors in 36 new wards added to Dhaka north and south city corporations.
The Kishoreganj 1 seat fell vacant following the death of MP-elect and former Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam.
Former Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Atiqul Islam was nominated by the ruling party for the mayoral by-polls once before in 2018, but the election was postponed by the High Court.
The DNCC mayor's post became vacant after the death of mayor Annisul Huq on November 30, 2017.
The Election Commission’s announcement came six days after the High Court scrapped a stay order on the election.
Earlier, the commission scheduled the mayoral by-polls for DNCC and the new city corporation wards for February 26 last year.
However, the process faced a roadblock after Ataur Rahman and Jahangir Alam, union parishad chairmen of Bhatara and Beraid, respectively, filed a petition challenging the decision of their unions being added as city corporation wards.
The High Court finally cleared the way for the by-polls to be held in a verdict on January 16 this year.
Ashraful, who had won Kishoreganj 1 seat in the December 30 general elections, died at a hospital in Thailand on January 3, before he could take the oath of office.