Four mayoral candidates fielded by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in Sirajganj are yet to begin vigorous campaigns as they have been accused in arson and subversion cases.
The four are advocate M Mokaddes Ali, general secretary of BNP’s Sirajganj district unit and suspended mayor of Sirajganj Sadar municipality, M Belal Hossain, former senior vice-president of BNP’s Ullapara upazila unit and incumbent president of BNP’s Ullapara municipality unit, Nazrul Islam, BNP’s Shahjadpur upazila unit’s senior vice-president, and Mosharraf Hossain Akand, incumbent mayor of Raiganj municipality and a Jamaat supporter.
Mokaddes, Nazrul and Mosharraf had been accused in a case filed over torching a train during a 2010 rally of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Mulibari, on the west side of Bangabandhu bridge.
Belal, meanwhile, was named in a subversion case early this year.
Of the four candidates, only Mokaddes had obtained bail.
Operations at the three municipalities were disrupted as the accused mayors mostly remained absent at work since the beginning of the year. The panel mayors of the respective municipalities were mostly in charge in the absence of the accused mayors.
The Local Government Ministry suspended Mokaddes for his absence at work and made panel mayor Selim Ahmed the acting mayor.
Mokaddes filed an appeal against the ministry’s decision with the High Court and the court overturned his suspension, but the matter still remains unresolved at the ministry.
Even though the four candidates are not campaigning and are largely isolated from party activities for their long absence at work in the last couple of months, they all believe people will vote for the BNP and Jamaat.
Publicity Secretary of BNP’s Sirajganj district unit Harun-ur-Rashid Khan Hasan said all the candidates would start electioneering according to the Election Commission’s rules.
“The BNP will enjoy huge support no matter if there is conflict among party members,” he added.