The Jatiya Party (JP) local unit has finally decided to extend its support to MA Mannan, the BNP-backed mayoral candidate in the first Gazipur City Corporation elections.
“They [JP] have already come out for us in Tongi and other areas, they will join our campaign in Joydevpur from Sunday,” Hasan Uddin Sarkar, central committee leader of the BNP, said Saturday evening.
“As far as we are concerned, JP can’t go against the people. They say their politics is for the people, so why would they go against the people’s will?” Sarkar said.
Nurul Islam, secretary general of JP’s Gazipur city unit, said the party had asked its supporters to withdraw immediately from campaigning on behalf of Ajmat Ullah Khan, the ruling party-backed rival candidate. He said JP activists who were still campaigning for Ajmat would be expelled.
On Friday, Nurul said JP would back Ajmat according to the wishes of the party’s leaders. Nurul however declined to comment on JP’s sudden switch of sides.
JP had endorsed Mezbah Uddin Sarker as its candidate for the July 6 Gazipur polls, but after receiving his election symbol, he withdrew from the race.
Meanwhile, AKM Mozammel Haque, MP and district president of the Awami League, said although JP was a part of the AL-led grand alliance, it was up to them to decide who to support in the election.
“We hope they will be with us in these elections, too,” Haque said.
According to sources, local JP leaders held at least three meetings on Saturday to discuss the issue.
The first meeting was held at the residence of Mahmud Hasan, president of the Gazipur unit and member of the central committee, and the second meeting was at the home of Asad Siddique, a municipality leader.
A third meeting was held at Nurul Islam’s residence, attended by BNP leaders, including Hasan Uddin Sarkar, who is also the coordinator of Mannan’s campaign.
