The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shahidul Islam

A number of local level leaders of different political parties, including the three major Awami League, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami-who have rejected the polls' schedules announced on Friday, have expressed their willingness to participate in the elections in four city corporations and nine pourahsavas.

Many of them have already started mass contact programme to create public opinion in favour of their candidature so that their respective parties, formally or otherwise, supports them, according to reports received in Dhaka yesterday evening from the four city corporations-Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal and other pourashavas.

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced schedules of elections in these city corporations and nine pourahsavas-Dupchachia in Bogra, Naohata in Rajshahi, Sreepur in Gazipur, Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Golapganj in Sylhet, Sitakunda in Chittagong, and Chuadanga, Manikganj, Shariatpur, and Shariatpur district headquarters, fixing August 4 as the polling date.

Rejecting the EC's announcement, Awami League (AL) Acting President Zillur Rahman, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Mohammad Mojahid separately asked the Commission to withdraw the local body polls schedule.

However, a number of senior leaders of the AL and BNP yesterday said their parties have not yet decided to boycott these elections although top leaders were critical of the EC's announcement since the local polls are going to be held before the general elections.

They said both the major political parties-the AL and BNP-would take part in these elections, even if they formally boycott the polls, to keep their respective party machinery intact at the local level.

They referred to the last city corporation polls, which was held under the BNP-led alliance government and participated front ranking AL leaders under the banner of "citizens' committee", although the AL had formally boycotted the elections. The AL only effectively boycotted Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) polls but participate in all other five city corporations.

AL leaders-ABM Mahiuddin Chowdhury elected Mayor of Chittagong and Badruddin Ahmed Kamran Mayor of Sylhet City Corporations respectively under the banner of "citizens' committee" despite, the party's formal boycott. BNP leaders Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Shaikh Taiyabur Rahman and Majibar Rahman Sarwar respectively won Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal City Corporations under the four-party alliance banner. The AL extended support to Workers Party leader Fazle Hossain Badsha for Rajshahi City Corporation and fielded party leaders-Enayet Pir Khan in Barisal under the "citizens' committee" banner.

When contacted, influential AL Presidium member Amir Hossain Amu, who yesterday returned from Barisal, said, "The ground reality is different. Local level leaders of the party are in favour of participating in the local elections. As such the Awami League will take a final decision in consultation with the local level leaders on these local polls."

Referring to the experiences of his Barisal visit, the AL leader opined that the party would suffer from conflicts and disintegration at the local level if boycotts the polls, as the local leaders have already started pre-election campaign.

Expressing similar views, BNP Advisory Council member Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah said, "The BNP has not yet decided to boycott these local polls and the party will take a decision in consultation with the local and mid level leaders."

Besides, sources close to the families of detained Mayors-Shaikh Taiyebur Rahman, Mizanur Rahman Minu and Majibar Rahman Sarwar, who have already been convicted in at least one graft case, told The New Nation yesterday that they move the high court to challenge the prison term and even go to the Supreme Court to create legal ways n favour of their candidature for the mayoral polls.

Arman Ahmed Kamran Shiplu son of detained Sylhet City Mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, who was not yet convicted and his cases are under trial, yesterday told this Correspondent that his father has expressed his desire to contest the mayoral polls from within the jail.

Besides, four AL candidates-former pourashava chairman Babrul Hossain Babul, city general secretary Advocate Misbahuddin Siraj, Acting Mayor Azam Khan and former general secretary party's district committee Ashfaq Ahmed-are vying for Mayoral nomination in Sylhet, while three BNP leaders-former Mayoral candidate of four-party alliance M A Haque, City BNP Secretary Nasim Hossain and Ward Commissioner Abdul Quaiyum Jalalee Pakhee are vying for the post. JP (Ershad) has two candidates-district unit president Kunu Mia and city JP vice-president Abdus Samad Nazmul, LDP leader former MP Mukit Khan, IOJ (Aminee) leader Maulana Sirajul Islam, JSD (Inu) Central Organising Secretary for Sylhet Division Lokman Ahmed and PDP Convener and former pourashava chairman AKM Kamal, among others candidates, are in the field.

In Khulna, there are six BNP Mayoral candidates-Shaikh Taiyebur Rahman, Acting Mayor Moniruzzaman Monir, former MP Ali Asgar Loby, Rabiul Islam Manju, Shafiqul Islam Mona and Khairuzzaman, while AL has three candidates-former State Minister Talukder Abdul Khalek, Ward Commissioner Ajmal Ahmed Tapan and district unit general secretary Mizanur Rahman Mizan. Besides, JP (Ershad) has two candidates-both of them former MPs-Gaffar Biswas and Abul Hossain. Former MP and Jamaat-e-Islami city Ameer Mia Golam Parwar, PDP leader Sharif Shafiqul Hamid Chandan and CPB leader Advocate Firoj Ahmed are on the race for the post.

There are less number of contenders in Rajshahi city. They are-former 14-party alliance candidate and Workers Party central leader Fazle Hossain Badsha, city AL general secretary Khairuzzaman Liton and city AL President Masudul Haq Dulu, three BNP candiadates-Mizanur Rahman Minu, Juba Dal city president Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul and BNP central acting office secretary Rizvee Ahmed, JP (Ershad) leader and former MP Durul Huda, Jamaat city Ameer Matiur Rahman and PDP convenor Raihanul Haq, who are vying for Mayor post.

Our Barisal Correspondent reports that the total number of aspirants in Barisal City Corporation election has crossed 200 mark and stands at 209, including 15 mayoral and 194 ward commissioner candidates. All of them had their names registered for the EC's orientation course till yesterday.

The seven mayor candidates who registered their names on Saturday for participation in the orientation and workshop, included city AL joint convener Alamgir Hossain Alo, AL leader for district bar association secretary Advocate Golam Masud Bablu, Jubo League leader Mahmudul Huq Khan Mamun, Jatiya Party leader ward commissioner Murtaza Abedin, businessman Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Rafikul Islam, PDP leader Sharfuddin Ahmed Santu.

Besides, AL leader Eanyet Pir Khan is expected to contest for Mayoral polls, while BNP leaders-detained Mayor Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, Ebaidul Haq Chan, Abdur Rahman Tapan and Ataharul Islam Babul-and JP (Ershad) leaders Fakhruddin Ahmed Hannu and Mortaza Abedin and CPB leader Comrade Abul Kalam Azad are in the race.