Several BNP-leaning mayors and upazila chairmen of the region yesterday showed off their government vehicles in the city and campaigned for hours defying electoral rules.
In support of mayor aspirant Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, who is also Jubo Dal’s Rajshahi city convener, the elected local government representatives joined a “view-exchange meeting with mayors and councillors” at a community centre when most of them appeared with government vehicles.
Sources said 26 municipality mayors and six upazila chairmen took part in the meeting. Among them, seven mayors and an upazila chairman later visited different areas to campaign for Bulbul.
Witnesses said the car of Natore’s Bagatipara municipality mayor was seen parked in front of Safwang Community Centre soon after the meeting began in the afternoon. Within half an hour, more government vehicles gathered at the venue. But, the drivers parked most of the cars a little far.
According to witnesses and locals, Charghat upazila parishad’s Chairman Abu Sayeed Chand, Bagatipara municipality Mayor Mosharraf Hossain, Godagari municipality Mayor Aminul Islam, Bogra municipality Mayor Mahbubur Rahman, Shahjadpur municipality Mayor Nazrul Islam, Chourpur municipality Mayor Shadhin Kumar Kundu, Natore’s Gopalganj municipality Mayor Monjurul Islam Bimal, municipality mayor of Naogaon Nazmul Haque Sani ran their official cars in the electoral area.
The Bagatipara municipality mayor said, “I cannot take the official car in campaigns. So the allegation is not true.”