Given the complicated nature of city councils with their myriad different functions and at least 100 types of businesses, young “adventurous” candidates are in for quite a ride.
While mayoral campaigns are on in full swing, as Dhaka and Chittagong city elections loom close, media outlets have been following aspiring mayors with keen interest, but not so much the ward councillors. There will be 93 ward councillors – 57 in south and 26 in north.
Ironically, though, it is the cooperation of these councillors that is key to a smoothly functioning and efficient city council. Some of those wily old councillors have indicated as much if not in so many words, while a local government expert went so far as to say this was merely a case of political adventurism.
Former ward councillor Sadek Khan said there is no alternative to experience. Inexperienced politicians will take two to three years just to understand the pulse of the city corporation.
“There are a good number of seasoned ward councillors who know the ins and outs of the city corporation,” he said indicating that these city corporation veterans could toy with the young mayors at will and make their life very difficult. “It is extremely challenging to bring all the councillors on to a same plane and work smoothly.”
Shamsul Huda, who was a panel mayor and a ward councillor, said the post of mayor is a purely political one and needs a political figure to run the corporation smoothly. He said there were more than hundred businesses linked with the corporation starting from the contracts for insecticide spraying to issuing trade licences. “Without any political orientation, it is difficult to run the corporation.”
Barring a few notable exceptions in Chittagong and Dhaka, there are hardly any candidates who can claim to have been through at least one successful campaign followed by a full tenure. The likes of Manjur Alam, who was a close aide to the seemingly indomitable Mohiuddin Chowdhury going on to beat him in 2010, and Mirza Abbas, a former mayor of undivided Dhaka and quite literally ran the city, are but a handful.
Mahi B Chowdhury, Bikalpadhara backed candidate has had the experience of winning a by-election when his former party (BNP) was in office. But the 45-year old ran from a constituency that belonged to his father Badruddoza Chowdhury, who is a veteran politician.
Awami League backed Sayeed Khokon in Dhaka south is an organizing secretary of city Awami League and ran a failed campaign banking on the popularity of his famous late father, Mohammad Hanif, the first elected mayor of undivided Dhaka.
While Awami League’s champion in Dhaka north, Annisul Huq has had substantial experience in running business association and chamber politics – former president of BGMEA, FBCCI and also head of SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industries – this is quite the first time that the 63-year old RMG tycoon has taken to the streets.
Gonosanghati-backed Zonayed Saki, however, has been on the streets. This 42-year mayoral hopeful for Dhaka north is a known face at the talk shows and has been convenor of a combine of leftist factions.
Abdullah Al Kafi, backed by the Bangladesh Social Party and the Communist Party of Bangladesh has been in politics for some time. But just that.
Tabith Awal, BNP’s champion of Dhaka north has just a few things going for him. His father, a veteran businessman who had always harboured the ambition to become the mayor of Dhaka, is adviser to the BNP chief Khaleda Zia. And Tabith played first division club football. The 36-year has never been in politics.
Shamsul said contract tenders were a big part of the city corporation functions. “Since ward councillors enjoy political backing, it would become really difficult for a non-political mayor to handle them and work with everyone.”
Tofail Ahmed, local government expert, said it is basically political adventurism. “If you have money, connections and power, you will get party backing. There is no political procedure, per se, of backing a mayoral candidate.
He said there may be someone who is famous at the national level or there may be someone with international repute too. “But the local government is totally different.” “Age has ceased to be a factor. So has experience.” The local government expert said the elections have become the main focus rather than services which have become secondary.”
In the past, mayors have hardly worked with the coordination of councillors and it has not been required either. In last two and half years Sadeque Hossain Khoka did not hold a single meeting.
“Mayor is the supreme authority of a city. He should be the one running the show and others are merely audience.”
He said, mayors work through their close aides and office staff and that’s why public service goes ignored. As for the young men taking to the streets hoping to run one of the largest cities in the world, Tofail said it was “political adventurism.”
Although BNP swept the recent city polls of Barisal, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Gazipur, beating heavyweights and popular incumbents, the new mayors have hardly been allowed to work. The ruling government has either incarcerated them or incapacitated them. Either way, the office of the mayor has turned into a paper tiger.
