Gazipur City Corporation polls: Aspirants step up campaign ahead of polls schedule

Gazipur City Corporation mayoral and councillor aspirants have boosted their campaign since the Election Commission said it would announce the Gazipur City Corporation election schedule on March 31. Many of them have committed themselves to socio-cultural and organizational activities to increase their chances of being picked by their parties. This will be the first time that Gazipur City Corporation election will be held on party lines. Mayoral aspirants have been campaigning the past few years. Now they are working hard to secure nominations. Awami League’s candidate for the city corporation's maiden election was the party's city unit President Azmat Ullah Khan. At the time, he was the general secretary of the party's district unit. He is trying hard to secure the party ticket this time too, sources say. Meanwhile, Gazipur city Awami League leader Md Jahangir Alam's supporters say he, too, has been working hard to get nominated by the party. Party activists say Jahangir organizes feasts for the poor at every Awami League ward office in the city on the National Mourning Day each year. Gazipur city unit Jubo League Convenor Kamrul Hasan Russel Sarkar is also in the fray. He has been vigorously campaigning for over two years now. His posters are a common sight in the city. Recently, his supporters have set up billboards and pasted more posters. Awami League's Gazipur unit Vice-President and former city corporation acting mayor Asadur Rahman Kiron is also fighting for the party ticket, his supporters say. He has been busy with social work with the same agenda in mind. For BNP, the aspirants are incumbent mayor and party's Vice-Chairman Prof MA Mannan; party's central leader, former MP and freedom fighter Hasan Uddin Sarkar; Sramik Dal central Executive President Salauddin Sarkar and the son of current mayor Manzurul Karim Rony. Party sources say Mannan and Hasan are leading the nomination race. Other aspirants include JaSaD's Gazipur unit President Rashedul Hasan Rana, and Hefazat-e-Islam Gazipur unit General Secretary Mawlana Fazlur Rahman, also the Islami Oikya Jote central joint secretary. In the last Gazipur City Corporation election, held on July 6, 2013, Mannan defeated Awami League's Azmat. Gazipur city is home to some three million people.