The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pankaj Karmakar

The Awami League (AL) is yet to resolve the disputes regarding selection of candidates for the Mayoral posts of the four city corporations especially the Rajshahi City Corporation.

The presidium members of the party will sit today at the Gulshan residence of the party's acting president Zillur Rahman at 11 am to find out the solution of this issue.

The central leader of AL Khairuzzaman Liton is determined not to withdraw his nomination paper where the policymakers of the party awarded the nomination to Fazle Hossain Badsha, a politburo member of the Bangladesh Workers Party.

The leaders of the party have become worried about the complexity regarding this issue.

Talking to The New Nation AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said, " We have just announced the name of the candidates. Initially some problems may crop up. We will be able to overcome the problems in due course."

"The party is going through a critical situation, we had to announce the name of Badsha for the sake of unity of the alliance", he added.

Ashraf further said that he himself as well as the party's Acting President Zillur Rahman would request Liton to withdraw the nomination paper. The party chief Sheikh Hasina would also request him if necessary.

From the very beginning the leaders of the14 party alliance were demanding to select Badsha to contest in the mayoral post. But the grassroots leaders of AL of Rajshahi region submitted an application to Ashraful with their signature demanding the nomination for Liton. Subsequently, the party senior leaders at AL central working committee meeting on July 1 supported Liton.

Despite the party's presidium members decision to nominate Badsha through holding two days hectic meeting with its allies.

Source said, the majority of the AL central committee is still in favour of Liton as mayoral candidate.

A central leader said, " the policy makers of the party first declared that the grassroots leaders will choose the candidates of their respective region. But they nominated Badsha ignoring the opinion of the grassroots leaders of Rajshahi."

Talking to The New Nation Liton said, "I will not withdraw the nomination paper. There is no way to escape the election, as the people of Rajshahi like me very much."

While asked wheatear he would withdraw the nomination paper if party chief Sheikh Hasina asked him to withdraw he said, " I will rather request her to reconsider the party's decision."

In Khulna Advocate Enayet Ali is determined to contest in the election although the policymakers of the party selected Talukdar Abdul Khalek. The leaders of the Khulna City Awami League went to Enayet ali to request him to withdraw nomination but they had to come back without any result.

Enayet Ali said, "The party repeatedly asked me to refrain from the election. It is the violation of the electoral rules. Local Government election is a non-party election. Supported by the people not by the political party I will contest in the election."

In Syhlet the majority of AL leaders are annoyed on the party's decision to nominate Badruddin Kamran. They fear that it is impossible for Kamran to make the AL Syhlet unit corrupt free, as he has been charged with graft case.

AL leader Aminul Haque Chowdhury Bir Protik, another contender said, " as a liberation fighter earlier I announced that I would fight, if the party nominate any corrupt person. So I will contest in the election with the support of liberation fighters."

Beside this other two AL leaders were supposed to withdraw nomination with the request of Abul Mal Abdul Muhit, member of AL central advisory council.

In Barishal Shakhawat Hossain Hiron, Convener of the Barishal City Awami League received the nomination of the 14 party alliances. But Enayet Pir Khan, President of the Barishal Nagarik Parishad is determined not to withdraw his nomination.

He said, "I am not a candidate of any political party but a candidate of Barishal Nagarik Parishad. I will have to contest for the sake of this organisation."