Kazi Zahidul Hasan/CM Kajawl :Sixty heavyweight mayoral aspirants backed by ruling Awami League (AL) and BNP on Sunday submitted nomination papers for contesting the upcoming bifurcated Dhaka City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) elections amid festivity.The polls will be held on April 28.Mihir Sarwar Morshed, Returning officer for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said that a total of 26 mayoral candidates submitted nomination forms at his office before the end of deadline. Besides, a total of 785 (general and reserved) candidates also submitted their nominations for councillor posts, he added. AL nominated mayoral candidate Sayeed Khokon, BNP city unit convener Mirza Abbas, finance secretary of BNP’s central committee Abdus Salam, former BNP lawmaker Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, BNP international affairs secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon, former AL lawmaker Golam Maula Rony, Jatiya Party nominee Saifuddin Milon, Baharane Sultan Bahar, ASM Akram, Shahin Khan, Dilip Bhadra and Shahidul Islam, among others, submitted nomination forms for DSCC polls.Earlier, AL supported mayoral candidate Sayeed Khokan went to the retuning officer’s office in a motorcade flanked by hundreds of followers to file his nomination. Former food minister Abdur Razzaque and former lawmaker Mostofa Zalal Mohiuddin, among others, were present during his (Khokon) nomination submission.AKM Shahjahan, lawyers of Mirza Abbas filed the nomination paper on his behalf while Fatema Salam and Nasima Akhter Kalpana, wives of Salam and Pintu respectively submitted the nomination papers of their behalf.Shah Alam, Returning Officer for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) said, a total of 21 mayoral candidates have filed nomination forms on the day for joining the poll race of DNCC. “A total of 629 candidates have also filed nomination for councillor posts in DNCC,” he added. AL supported Annisul Huq, BNP chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo, his son Tabith Awal, AL leader Kabari Sarwar, Bobby Hajjaj, Bahauddin Ahmed Babul, Bikalpa Dhara leader Mahi B Chowdhury, Chowdhury Erad Ahmed Siddiqui, Sheikh Shahiduzzaman, Naim Hasan, Junaid Shaki, Shamsul Alam Chowdhury, Kazi Md Shahidullah, Moyazzem Hossain Khan Majlish, Anisuzzaman Khokon, Nader Chowdhury, Jaman Bhuiyan, Abdullah Al Kafi, Md Fazle Bari Masud and AYM Kamrul Islam dropped their nominations for mayoral post.Flanked by AL leaders Faruk Khan and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, BGMEA president Atiqul Islam, former FBCCI president AK Azad and former food minister Abdur Razzaque, Annisul Huq submitted his nomination paper in the afternoon.Tafsir M Awal and Tazwar M Awal, sons of Abdul Awal Mintoo, submitted the nomination on behalf of their father. “I’m hopeful of winning the poll race as the country’s biggest political party Awami League has extended support to me,” Annisul Huq told reporters after dropping his nomination paper.Expressing concern over the ‘level playing field’ in the upcoming city corporation polls, Tafsir M Awal told reporters that the Election Commission (EC) has to ensure that everyone gets the equal opportunity.When asked about the army deployment during the polls, Tafsir said that it is the matter of the EC.He, however, did not comment over his brother Tabith Awal’s submission of the nomination paper for the mayoral post.Shahidul Alam on behalf of Tabith Awal submitted the paper this afternoon after hours Tabith collected the nomination form.Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convenor of Nagorik Oikko, now in jail could not submit his nomination form as a mayor candidate for the DNCC polls.Meanwhile, a total of 13 mayoral candidates, including AL-backed AGM Nasir Uddin and BNP-blessed and Chattagram Unnayan Andolan platform’s mayoral candidate M Manjur Alam, have submitted nomination for contesting the upcoming CCC polls scheduled to be held on April 28.Apart from mayoral candidates, a total of 359 candidates submitted nomination forms for participating in the election.Out of 359, 71 candidates submitted forms for contesting in preserve women seat and 288 for contesting in general ward councillor posts, according to our Chittagong Bureau. Nasir together with city Awami League president ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, its treasurer Abdus Salam and senior party leader Ishaq Mia, submitted the nomination paper to returning officer Abdul Baten at the regional Election Office around 12:00noon.Nasir will contest the polls as a candidate of Nagorik Committee platform.Earlier in the morning, BNP-blessed and Chattagram Unnayan Andolan platform’s mayoral candidate M Manjur Alam submitted his nomination paper to contest the polls.Manjur together with senior BNP leaders, including party vice chairman Abdullah Al Noman and city unit BNP president Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, submitted the nomination paper to returning officer Abdul Baten at the regional Election Office around 9:00am.The scrutiny of the nomination papers by the returning officers would take place on April 1 and 2.April 9 is the last date for the withdrawal of candidature.The EC will allocate election symbols on April 10.
