BNP, Jamaat agree on 5 councillor posts

BNP has reached an understanding with Jamaat-e-Islami to set aside five councillor posts for Jamaat contestants in the upcoming Barisal City Corporation (BCC) election.

In return, Jamaat will ensure that its voters will back BNP candidates in other posts as well as the mayoral post in the election, scheduled to be held on July 30.

Moazzem Hossain Helal, Jamaat's amir in Barisal district, confirmed the development with The Daily Star early this week.

“Jamaat wanted to contest the BCC election for the mayoral post under the banner of “Nagorik Parishad”, but BNP has urged Jamaat not to nominate any of its candidates for the post,” he said.

Jamaat has agreed to BNP's demand with the assurance that BNP would set aside five councilor posts for Jamaat candidates who would contest the election under the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

The decision was made at a meeting of the 20-party alliance held on June 27 when it was also decided that a coordination committee of the alliance will be formed soon, Moazzem added.

Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, secretary of district BNP and the party's candidate for the mayoral post in the BCC election, yesterday told this correspondent that they would extend necessary support to the five councillor candidates of Jamaat, as decided at the alliance meeting last week.