S M Mizanur Rahman :The ruling Awami League-blessed mayor candidates in the Dhaka south and Dhaka North City Corporations started their informal election campaign on Friday to woo the voters.Mayor candidate in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Sayeed Khokan along with independent MP and AL leader Haji Mohammad Selim and other party leaders on Friday offered Juma prayers at Chawkbazar Shahi Mosque in city.Annisul Huq, candidate for the mayoral post in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and AL lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder along with party leaders held an exchange of views meeting at Monipur High School in Mirpur on Friday to mobilise city dwellers’ support.AL joint general secretary Haji Mohammed Selim and Kamal Ahmed Majumder who had wanted to contest the DSCC and DNCC polls but refrained themselves from the race following intervention of the Prime Minister and party President Sheikh Hasina.In DSCC, after the Juma prayers Sayeed Khokan and Haji Selim talked to the city dwellers and traders adjacent to Chawkbazar Shahi Mosque and had a lunch together at a restaurant at Nawabpur Road in old city. AL joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, agriculture and co-operative affairs secretary Dr Abdur Razzak MP, former state minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku, Dhaka city AL organising secretary Shah Alam Murad and other leaders and workers were also present.During the visit to the traders and local people, Sayeed Khokan said that Haji Selim would work in favour of him. “I along with Haji Selim will work together for winning the polls. I seek blessing and support from all,” he told journalists. On Thursday night, Haji Selim at a party senior leaders’ meeting held at AL presidium member and Health Minister Mohammad Nasim’s Dhanmondi residence expressed his willingness to work in favour of Sayeed Khokan.AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at an AL parliamentary party meeting on Thursday night assigned former civil aviation minister Lt. Col (Retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan MP and agriculture and co-operative affairs secretary Dr Abdur Razzak MP as the election steering committee coordinators for the DNCC and DSCC respectively. Meanwhile, talking to The New Nation on Friday Muhammad Faruk Khan, MP said he is holding exchange of views meetings with the local AL leaders and workers as well as the common people. “I, along with DNCC mayor candidate Annisul Huq and AL lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder, attended an exchange of views meeting at Monipur High School in Mirpur,” Faruk Khan said.Replying to a query, he said AL is in a good position in selecting lone candidates for the upcoming City Corporation elections. “We are in a good position in managing our rebel candidates as the party hopeful that people will cast their votes in favour of our party-backed candidates,” he said.Replying to a query, he said Kamal Ahmed Majumder has extended his all out support to Annisul Huq. “We will go for extensive election campaigns after April 11. However, we have started informal electioneering by holding exchange of view meeting,” he said.
