Convener of Peoples Solidarity Movement (Gonosonhoti Andolon) Zonayed Saki has collected the nomination form for contesting the mayoral race in the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation polls.
The leftist party leader bought the nomination paper from the office of Dhaka North Returning Officer around 4pm Saturday.
He was accompanied by his wife, Revolutionary Women's Solidarity (Biplobi Nari Shanhati) leader and photographer Taslima Akhter, central leader of the party Abdus Salam, Firoz Ahmed, Bangladesh Bohumkhi Sramajibi Hawker Samiti President Bachchu Bhuiyan and Students' Federation President Saikat Mollik.
Zonayed Saki is a key organaiser and central leader of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports.
Contacted for his comment on the issue, Saki said: “We are not Dhaka but living in a city as dwellers with fear, less facilities, freedom of speech is almost shelved here.”
“I believe only people can change and change is inevitable and I want to enhance people’s desired Dhaka,” the progressive mayoral candidate said.
Zonayed Saki entered student politics in 1990, carrying bloodied portraits of martyrs who had fallen during the student-led mass uprising against autocracy. He was elected as president the left leaning student’s organisation Bangladesh Student’s Federation in 1998.
He made significant role in the student uprising against sexual harassment in educational institutions as a student leader. He was also a vibrant representative of the student’s protest against US-lead imperialism.
Saki also led students against the government decision of cutting more than 11,000 trees of Osmani Udyan in 1999. Later, government changed the decision amid pressure.
The Gonoshanhati Andolon convener along with his organisation is on struggle to ensure Dhaka city dweller’s amenities and security with regular processions, rallies against bus fare hike, tenants right.
He was also politically effervescent to save Buriganga, Turag and the waterways to save Dhaka.
The DNCC has so far seen 26 mayoral aspirants collect nomination forms.
According to the Election Commission (EC) schedule, the deadline for submission of nomination papers is March 29 while the nomination papers will be scrutinised on April 1 and 2 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 9.
The DNCC is comprised of 36 general wards and 12 reserved wards, a total of 2,349,313 voters --1,227,571 males and 1,121,742 females – are expected to exercise their voting rights in 5,828 possible polling booths of 1087 polling centers.
The last election to an undivided DCC was held on April 2002 and its tenure expired on May 2007. On November 4, 2011, the government split the DCC into two and appointed administrators to run the respective local governing bodies.