Shamim Osman’s ill design snubbed by Hasina

A desperate Shamim Osman has sought the assistance of the ruling Awami League's central leadership in trying to ensure victory for the ward councillors loyal to him in the upcoming Narayanganj City Corporation polls, party sources have said. “The Awami League has rejected his proposal for the sake of a free and fair election,” said the source. An Awami League leader, working in the NCC election, said the prime minister had doubts over Shamim's proposal. “Plans to ‘ensure victory’ usually lead to untoward incidents in the elections," he said. "So, the top brass sent a message to Shamim Osman: The election is about the party and its candidate is Selina Hayat Ivy. He has been asked to remember this.” Ivy is Bangladesh's first woman mayor and is contesting the election on the party ticket. She defeated Selim in the city corporation's maiden poll. According to party insiders, they are not interested in the ward councillors' election since they are not contesting the polls with the party's boat symbol, and that the decision has already been conveyed to Shamim.'People's mandate'The source said the prime minister had said the NCC election would be free and fair. “Sheikh Hasina said that nobody would have to take responsibility to ensure anyone’s victory. The candidate who will get the people's mandate will be victorious.” Awami League Presidium Member Kazi Zafrullah told the Bangla Tribune that Shamim had made some of his loyal men campaign for becoming councillors and had spoken to the party's central leaders to make them victorious. “We told him in no uncertain terms that the centre was not thinking about the councillors,” he said. Zafrullah said there were more than one councillor candidates in each ward and only several of them were uncontested candidates who were loyal to the Awami League. “It is not possible to work for the councillor elections too,” he added. “Moreover, the Awami League is working with the party candidate. We have no headache over who win the councillor posts since they are not contesting the polls with the party's symbol 'boat'.” Shamim Osman declined to comment on the development, saying he would speak later, but he could not be reached over the phone despite repeated attempts.