Ehsanul Haque Jasim :
Although the BNP-led 20-party alliance announced mayor candidates for the December 30 municipal polls, many of them have no interest to join the polls due to fear of arrest, harassment and nomination cancellation.
The leaders of the 20-party alliance alleged that the grassroots leaders, workers and also the candidates of the alliance are on the run because they are now under the surveillance of the law enforcers. They cannot come out openly fearest arrest.
It was alleged that the mayor and the councillor candidates, who are mainly leaders of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, faced hindrance during nomination submission. In many municipalities, the 20-party
alliance backed councillor candidates could not file their nomination papers. In some other places, there were no councillor candidates, as the leaders of the alliance had no interest to vie the polls to avert arrest and harassment. BNP standing committee member Lt General (retd) Mahbubur Rahman on Friday said that they had bitter experience about city corporations and municipal elections. The government has suspended almost all the BNP-backed city mayors and many municipality mayors and Upazila chairmen, while many of them have been facing detention for years. In this situation, many BNP leaders lost interest to join the polls under the incumbent government, he said.
Under this circumstances, councillor candidates in many places are going to be elected uncontested, as the ruling Awami League-backed candidates stood in their respective wards are the only legitimate candidates. Feni Municipality is one of municipalities where many AL-backed councillor candidates are set to be elected uncontested. In the municipality, there are lone councillor candidates in 12 wards out of 18, while four lone candidates for women reserved seats submitted nomination papers. Returning Officer Mohammad Enamul Haque said that the candidates will be declared elected uncontested if their nominations are found valid. Such condition was also found in the two other municipalities of Feni and some other municipalities in the country. Lone candidates submitted nomination papers in four wards in Feni’s Dagonbhuiyan Municipality out of total nine, while the three women reserved seats found only three candidates. The ruling party-backed ward councillors in all the nine wards of the Parshuram Municipality are set to be elected uncontested, while an woman reserved seat will get uncontested candidate.
Acting president of Feni district BNP Advocate Abu Taher said that their leaders could not file nominations at 33 wards in three municipalities in Feni due to intimidation. AL district President Abdur Rahman claimed that the lone candidates are the leaders of the Awami League and its front bodies. He, however, denied allegation of hindrance.
A BNP leader expressed fear that many other ward councillor candidates and mayor candidates may be elected uncontested, as the Election Commission (EC) may cancel nomination papers of many candidates during scrutiny. He mentioned the name of Syeda Saira Mohsin, wife of late Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali, who was elected unopposed in the by-election of Moulvibazar-3 constituency. Five candidates, including Saira Mohsin, filed nomination papers, but the other four nomination papers were cancelled by the EC. The nomination paper of Awami League-nominated candidate Syeda Saira Mohsin was found valid. BNP’s spokesman Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon said their candidates would face unfavourable situation in every stages of the municipal polls. He said that the 20-party alliance’s candidates could not come openly due to repressive acts of the government. Some of the candidates have already been arrested and they are now facing detention.
Although the BNP-led 20-party alliance announced mayor candidates for the December 30 municipal polls, many of them have no interest to join the polls due to fear of arrest, harassment and nomination cancellation.
The leaders of the 20-party alliance alleged that the grassroots leaders, workers and also the candidates of the alliance are on the run because they are now under the surveillance of the law enforcers. They cannot come out openly fearest arrest.
It was alleged that the mayor and the councillor candidates, who are mainly leaders of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, faced hindrance during nomination submission. In many municipalities, the 20-party
alliance backed councillor candidates could not file their nomination papers. In some other places, there were no councillor candidates, as the leaders of the alliance had no interest to vie the polls to avert arrest and harassment. BNP standing committee member Lt General (retd) Mahbubur Rahman on Friday said that they had bitter experience about city corporations and municipal elections. The government has suspended almost all the BNP-backed city mayors and many municipality mayors and Upazila chairmen, while many of them have been facing detention for years. In this situation, many BNP leaders lost interest to join the polls under the incumbent government, he said.
Under this circumstances, councillor candidates in many places are going to be elected uncontested, as the ruling Awami League-backed candidates stood in their respective wards are the only legitimate candidates. Feni Municipality is one of municipalities where many AL-backed councillor candidates are set to be elected uncontested. In the municipality, there are lone councillor candidates in 12 wards out of 18, while four lone candidates for women reserved seats submitted nomination papers. Returning Officer Mohammad Enamul Haque said that the candidates will be declared elected uncontested if their nominations are found valid. Such condition was also found in the two other municipalities of Feni and some other municipalities in the country. Lone candidates submitted nomination papers in four wards in Feni’s Dagonbhuiyan Municipality out of total nine, while the three women reserved seats found only three candidates. The ruling party-backed ward councillors in all the nine wards of the Parshuram Municipality are set to be elected uncontested, while an woman reserved seat will get uncontested candidate.
Acting president of Feni district BNP Advocate Abu Taher said that their leaders could not file nominations at 33 wards in three municipalities in Feni due to intimidation. AL district President Abdur Rahman claimed that the lone candidates are the leaders of the Awami League and its front bodies. He, however, denied allegation of hindrance.
A BNP leader expressed fear that many other ward councillor candidates and mayor candidates may be elected uncontested, as the Election Commission (EC) may cancel nomination papers of many candidates during scrutiny. He mentioned the name of Syeda Saira Mohsin, wife of late Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali, who was elected unopposed in the by-election of Moulvibazar-3 constituency. Five candidates, including Saira Mohsin, filed nomination papers, but the other four nomination papers were cancelled by the EC. The nomination paper of Awami League-nominated candidate Syeda Saira Mohsin was found valid. BNP’s spokesman Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon said their candidates would face unfavourable situation in every stages of the municipal polls. He said that the 20-party alliance’s candidates could not come openly due to repressive acts of the government. Some of the candidates have already been arrested and they are now facing detention.
