Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Most of the mayoral and councillor hopefuls backed by BNP-led alliance are facing criminal charges filed against them in various police stations in the city, sources said.
They said, more than 300 leaders and supporters of BNP have submitted their nomination papers to contest mayoral and councillor posts in the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) polls.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has sent a list of such mayoral and councillor candidates acting on a request from the Election Commission (EC).
DMP prepared the list from amongst those who submitted nomination papers to contest the DNCC and DSCC polls.
“They are facing near about 400 criminal cases. Courts have issued arrest warrant against many of them as they remained absconding,” a highly placed sourced in DMP told The New Nation on Wednesday.
Among the mayoral aspirants, BNP city unit convener Mirza Abbas, who filed nomination paper through his lawyers, is now facing 38 criminal cases. Finance secretary of BNP’s central committee Abdus Salam is currently facing three cases including two cases under Section 302.
Among the BNP-backed councillor aspirants, Delwar Hossain and leader of BNP Mirpur thana unit is facing 120 criminal cases, the highest among the aspirant candidates. Former commissioner Harun-Ar-Rashid is facing 50 cases. He remains absconding.
Mirpur thana unit BNP president Hazi Abdur Rahman, who has submitted nomination paper to contest the Ward-9 councillor post of DNCC, is facing 23 criminal charges. BNP leader Anisur Rahman who is vying from the ward-8 of DNCC is facing 12 criminal cases, Wahidul Alam Labu, another BNP backed councillor candidate from Ward-9, is facing 10 cases, Ward-13 BNP president Abdul Matin is facing five criminal cases, Abul Misher is facing seven cases while Dulal Ahmed, Akram Hossain and Mahbubur Rahman Moni are facing six cases.
Rampura thana BNP president Fayez Ahmed Foru, who has submitted nomination from Ward-22 of DNCC, is facing six cases and councillor candidate of Ward-26 Jajal Ahmed is facing five cases. He remains in absconding.
DSCC councillor candidate and a member of BNP city unit convening committee Hamidul Haque is facing 18 criminal cases. He also remains absconding for a long time.
Khilgaon Thana BNP secretary general Advocate Farukul Islam and DSCC’s Ward-1 BNP Secretary general Humayun Kabor are facing at least six criminal cases. Former DCC councillor Enamul Haque Kaiyum is facing five cases.
Councillor candidate Azmat Ali Konu, BNP leader of Ward-3 is now in jail with 10 criminal cases filed against him.
Golam Hossain, a former councillor and BNP leader DSCC (Ward-4), is facing 13 cases.
Golam Mostafa Badsha, a councillor candidate (Ward-7) of DSCC, is facing eight criminal cases. Mokbul Ahmed, former councillor and a local BNP leader of ward-9 of DSCC is facing four cases.
Liakat Hossain, former councillor of Ward -41 is facing four cases.
Besides, a total of 122 councillor candidates having connection with Awami League (AL) led 14-party alliance have also criminal cases against them.
