Sagar Biswas :
When most of the elected city mayors remained ‘nonfunctional’ due to pressure of the government, the Election Commission on Wednesday announced schedule for mayoral elections in Dhaka and Chittagong allegedly to serve ruling party’s political purpose.
The decision to arrange polls in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has taken at a time when blockade and hartals enforced by BNP-led alliance getting harder day by day demanding fresh national elections. There is widespread allegation that the latest decision to hold DCC and CCC polls has taken only to suppress mass people’s discontent and divert their popular demand.
Mayoral election in Dhaka city was held over a decade ago. In the meanwhile, the city has been divided into two city corporations – North and South. But the Awami League government did not take any step to hold election despite legal bindings apprehending huge defeat. Now, the election date is fixed on April 28 next. The ruling party has also taken all-out preparations to run the race. Ignoring rivalry in her own party, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also nominated businessman Anisul Hoque and Syed Khokan as the candidates of Dhaka North and Dhaka South respectively. But questions have been raised why the elections in DCCs are going to be held when most of the country’s elected mayors are facing tremendous trouble created by the government itself? Why such a farce election, when the nation is demanding a free, fair and credible general election as per electoral pledge [of January 5, 2014 election] of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina? Will the newly elected mayors get any scope to run their corporations, if they belong to the opposition political parties, especially BNP?
These questions must be answered before holding the polls.
There are 11 city corporations in the country. Of them, elections in nine corporations were completed during previous tenure of Awami League government. Significantly, the opposition BNP-Jamaat backed contenders, or rival candidates of Awami League, had won in all the mayoral posts. No Awami League candidates [directly nominated] won in any of these corporations.
Of the elected mayors, BNP leader Manjurul Alam Manju of CCC seems to be a little relief for the government, as he keeps very close relation with the Awami League leaders, especially with ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
But other city mayors, including of Khulna City Corporation [KCC], Rajshahi City Corporation [RCC], Sylhet City Corporation [SCC], Barisal City Corporation [BCC], Rangpur City Corporation [RACC], Gazipur City Corporation [GCC], Narayanganj City Corporation [NCC] and Comilla City Corporation [CoCC] have appeared as big headache for government.
As a result, all of the elected mayors of eight city corporations are now facing wrath of the ruling high-ups. Several criminal cases have been filed against these mayors to keep them out from their offices. Mayor of SCC Ariful Hoque has been suspended and GCC mayor M A Mannan is ousted. Mayor of RCC Mosaddeq Hossain is on run to escape arrest while KCC mayor Md Moniruzzaman becomes sick in fear of two criminal cases. Cases have also been filed against CoCC mayor and BNP leader Monirul Haque Sakku.
Not only that, the NCC mayor Dr Selina Hayat Ivy, who is a ruling party leader, still could not earn the trust of ruling party high-ups, as she does not serve interest of local ruling party leaders. The law and order situation in Naraynganj is also down sliding with the involvement of ruling party men and a section of law enforcing officials.
In this situation, it is really suspicious as why the government is very much eager to hold elections in the DCCs! It seems, the Election Commission is arranging the elections to serve the political interest of the Awami League government.
