Reza Mahmud :
Both the two major political parties namely Awami League and the BNP have almost finalised the names of mayor candidates for Dhaka North City Corporation by-polls.
But the nomination papers are still on sale.
Political leaders and analysts said, two candidates from the major two parties are active in the field.
One is Md. Atiqul Islam, former President of BGMEA who collected nomination papers from AL; another is BNP’s Executive Member Tabith Awal, who contested the mayor post in the last polls.
AL insiders say that the party Chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given green signal to Atiqul Islam for the post.
Atiqul Islam has started mass communication and campaign in every ward in the DNCC jurisdiction.
There are 11 more aspirants also bought nomination papers from AL on Saturday and Sunday.
They are former MP HBM Iqbal, industrialist Adam Tamiji Huq, Rasel Asheki, Principal of Monipur School and College Farhad Hossain, daily Bangladesh Today Editor Jobaer Alam, Dokan Malik Samity Chairman Helaluddin, AL former Central Executive Committee Member Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedy, former Ward Councillor Shamim Hasan, businessman Abed Mansur and former Army official Yad Ali Fakir.
All the aspirants expressed their hopes to get party ticket to contest in the DNCC by-election scheduled to be held on February 26.
“I am just being introduced to the people in the areas as the Prime Minister asked me to do so,” said Atiqul Islam to The New Nation.
When contacted, AL Presidium Member Faruk Khan, MP told The New Nation on Sunday, “Atiqul Islam is working at field level. But AL kill officially declare the name of the party’s candidate on Tuesday.”
On the other hand, five mayor aspirants of BNP for DNCC by-polls on Sunday collected the party’s nomination forms.
They are Asaduzzaman Ripon, Akhteruzzaman, Shakil Wahed, MA Qaiyum and Tabith Awal. All of them expressed their hopes to get party ticket.
Among them, Tabith Awal has reportedly been given green signal from the party chief Begum Khaleda Zia.
Insiders of the party said every leader and activist knows that Tabith is the lone candidate to have started preparation for the polls.
He is passing busy time to meet party men in every ward of DNCC.
“I am trying to know the party leaders and activists and voters, especially of new 18 wards of DNCC. The leaders and activists in other areas are helping me in my pre-election work everyday,” Tabith Awal told The New Nation on Saturday.
When contacted, BNP National Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas told The New Nation on Sunday, “Our party will finalise the nomination as per the candidate’s popularity.”
Besides, the party’s Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that the BNP would declare the name of its mayor candidate for DNCC by-polls around 10:00pm on Monday.
