BNP has all but announced its participation in the upcoming city polls of Dhaka and Chittagong scheduled for April 28.
Although still pending a formal announcement, activities of citizens’ platforms closely linked with the main political opposition suggest that it will indeed be in the running for the three city corporation offices of Dhaka north and south, and Chittagong.
Tipped to have been nominated by the party, BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s advisor Abdul Awal Mintoo and central BNP office bearer Abdus Salam collected nomination forms for mayor of Dhaka’s two city corporations yesterday.
A pro-BNP citizens’ delegation also met with the Election Commission to discuss about level playing field in the city polls. Well known for their close BNP link, the delegates said they had not come on behalf of any party.
All local government elections are obligated, by law, to be non partisan affairs.
Incumbent Chittagong mayor Manjur Alam was nominated by a pro-BNP civic platform. The announcement came yesterday evening.
Like many BNP leaders, both mayoral aspirants of Dhaka – Mintoo for north and Salam for south – are on the run and collected the nomination forms through their representatives.
Business tycoon Mintoo had his sons Tafsir Awal and Tajwar Awal collect the form.
When asked whether BNP was backing his father, Tafsir said Mintoo would run for office only with the party endorsement. “Although this is supposed to be a non-partisan affair, my father being an advisor [to Khaleda Zia], he would have to get her blessings first.”
Mintoo will be up against another businessman Annisul Huq, nominated by the ruling Awami League.
Both Mintoo and Annisul are former presidents of the country’s apex trade body, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
In Dhaka south, Salam’s personal secretary Faruq Ul Islam Selim and Monirul Islam, personal secretary to former Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, collected the papers in the afternoon.
Salam, currently finance secretary of BNP’s central committee, served as a deputy mayor of Dhaka during HM Ershad’s regime in 1980s.
A freedom fighter, he was also the member secretary of the immediate past Dhaka city unit BNP of which Khoka was the chief.
Monirul told reporters, “BNP is yet to announce its decision. Neither did it say that it would boycott the elections. So, there is no harm collecting the nomination form. If the party decides not to take part, we can always withdraw them.”
While Salam was a close aide to Khoka, the last elected mayor of undivided Dhaka, he will be up against Sayed Khokon, the ruling party nominee. Khokon is the son of Mohammad Hanif, the first elected mayor of Dhaka.
Till date, Dhaka south has seen 27 mayoral aspirants, 913 councillor candidates, 168 candidates for reserved women councillor collect the nomination forms. Dhaka north saw 22 mayoral candidates, 570 ward councillors and 118 reserved women councillor aspirants.
In Chittagong, BNP-backed platform Chattagram Unnayan Andolon (Bengali for Chittagong Development Movement) nominated incumbent Manjur Alam for mayor.
The platform’s convenor Dr Abul Kalam Azad announced the nomination at a press conference around 7:30pm yesterday.
“We had nominated Manjur for the last city polls when he won the mandate of the city people. This time we nominate him again to continue the flow of development in the city,” he said.
A close aide to Chittagong’s three-time mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Manjur went on to defeat his former boss in 2010.
When asked whether the platform’s decision was endorsed by BNP, the convenor said their organisation was one of professionals and any party could support their decision.
BNP’s Chittagong unit vice president Abu Sufian yesterday confirmed Dhaka Tribune that the party had indeed nominated Manjur for Chittagong mayor. “The high command informed city unit president Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury about the nomination,” he said.
