Sarwaruddin, Ctg Bureau :
The politics of ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP have warmed up in Chittagong centring the forthcoming election of City Mayor .
The City Mayor election of Chittagong City Corporation is expected to be held in next April or May , Election Commission sources said.
Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak disclosed it while visiting Chittagong on Thursday last .
According to code of conduct of Election Commission, there is a provision to hold election within 180 days before the expiry of the tenure . The tenure of CCC Mayor will expire in June next and hence the EC is mulling to hold the CCC election in April or May next.
Mentionable that the holy Ramadan in next year will start from June and hence no possibility of election in the month of Ramazan.
The aspirant candidates of the parties are remained busy with the contact of party’s high command in the meantime. The intending Mayor candidates from both the parties began their mass contact in city areas during holy Ramazan through distributing the Eid commodities and Eid clothes.
Different sources said the intending Mayor candidates of both the parties are contacting their component parties of the respective alliances. The intending candidates have increased their contact with the leaders at grassroot levels after Eid vacation. It is learnt from the reliable sources of the these two parties that 4 candidates from the ruling party and 5 candidates from the BNP alliance are in the race for nomination of Mayorship. The aspirants of BNP – Present Mayor MManzoor Alam , City BNP General Secretary Dr. Shahdat Hossain , former state minister and advisor to the BNP chairperson Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin , City Vice President Shamsul Alam and city JASAS President Kazi Akbar.
On the other hand, 4 aspirants from ruling party are – former Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury , Treasurer of City AL and CDA chairman Abdus Salam, former legislator and reputed industrialist Nurul Islam Bsc and the General secretary of city AL AZM Nasiruddin.
In the meantime , present City Mayor Manzoor Alam has already called on BNP chairperson and the former Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury have good relations with the Prime Minister , reliable sources said.
A sources of city AL said , CDA chairman Abdus Salam has also good contact with Prime Minister as during his ongoing tenure as CDA chairman , massive development works have been implemented
On the other hand , reputed industrialist and former legislator Nurul Islam BSc is well-known social personality in Chittagong and he is running a number of school, colleges ,hospitals in city at free of cost and have good reputation among city dwellers.
Besides, City AL Secretary AZM Nasiruddin is a young and dynamic political career and well known sports organizer who is also of BCB Director and recently elected city AL general secretary .
Mentionable that former state minister Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin of BNP was defeated twice by former Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury in mayor election. City BNP general secretary Dr. Shahdat Hossain is a young dynamic politician and have good contact in city areas and he is also in active in mass contacting following the declaration of CCC election by the Election commissioner recently.
On the other hand, city Vice Presidentof BNP Shamsul Alam is a reputed industrialist of Chittagong and contested the last parliamentary election of 2008 who was defeated by AL candidate.
These intending candidates from both the parties began their mass contact programmes in city areas through participating the social and religious functions and distributed essential commodities and clothes during last holy Ramadan month. Following the disclosure of Election Commissioner in Chittagong recently about the probable time for city corporation election, the intending candidates now remained busy in contacting the high command of the party and mass contact programs in the areas, different sources said.
