Election race takes shape
Fearing arrest and harassment by law enforcers, three BNP-backed mayoral aspirants yesterday sent their representatives to the office of returning officer to submit nomination papers for contesting the polls to the two Dhaka city corporations.
The representatives of BNP leaders Mirza Abbas, Abdul Awal Mintoo and Abdus Salam submitted the papers on their behalf, as the deadline for filing nomination expired yesterday.
The BNP leaders might appear in public after scrutiny of the papers is completed by April 2. In the meantime, their lawyers would move the court and seek bail in the cases filed in connection with recent violence, said party sources.
"My client [Mirza Abbas] faces more than 65 cases. He has obtained bail in around 60 cases. How could he submit nomination papers in person under such circumstances?” asked Abbas' counsel AKM Shahjahan, who filed the papers on the BNP leader's behalf.
“In a couple of days, we will seek his bail from the court in the rest of the cases," he told The Daily Star, adding that his client was unwell.
Talking to this correspondent last night, Syeda Fatema Salam, wife of BNP leader Abdus Salam, said, "My husband is facing a number of false cases. Police are hunting for him … How can he file nomination papers in person?"
Contacted, Mintoo's Secretary Abdullah Al Harun Sohel said the BNP leader is now on bail in 10 of the 13 cases lodged against him.
Meanwhile, some grassroots BNP leaders filed nomination papers through their representatives to contest for councillor posts in Dhaka North and South city corporations.
Unlike all these BNP leaders, party's International Affairs Secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon filed nomination papers in person to run for the mayoral post in Dhaka South City Corporation.
Ripon said he was not facing any cases, and he filed the papers on his own, not on instructions from the party.
In contrast to what the BNP leaders did, mayoral aspirants endorsed by the ruling Awami League, Jatiya Party (JP) and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) filed nomination papers in person.
The AL-blessed mayoral aspirant in Dhaka South, Sayeed Khokon, even staged a showdown before submitting nomination papers.
Around 12:00noon, Khokon started for Mohanagar Natyamanch, temporary office of the returning officer (RO), from the AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue with several thousand supporters. Many of them riding around 70 motorbikes flanked the procession.
Later, around a hundred supporters of Khokon entered Mohanagar Natyamanch though the electoral code of conduct doesn't allow it.
Asked, Khokon told reporters that he didn't violate the code of conduct, and that he was accompanied by only five persons.
DSCC Returning Officer Mihir Sarwar Morshed said five people accompanied Khokon, as permitted by the electoral rules.
He said if any candidate stages showdown outside the office, action would be taken after investigation.
In the afternoon, Khairul Hasan Jewel, organising secretary of AL's front organisation Swechchhasebak League, entered the RO's office with a procession of around 200 supporters, mostly members of Chhatra League's Dhaka University unit.
They chanted slogans for Jewel, a councillor aspirant from Ward 20. But no action was taken against them.
A mobile court, however, fined Mohammad Nayeem Hasan, mayoral aspirant in Dhaka North, Tk 20,000 for violating the electoral code of conduct.
Nayeem went to the RO's office by a cart wrapped with his election campaign posters and banners for submitting nomination papers, said Executive Magistrate Sarwar Alam.
In the Chittagong City Corporation, the situation was a bit different for BNP men.
BNP-blessed mayoral aspirant Manjur Alam Manju submitted nomination papers to the RO three hours before AL-backed mayoral aspirant AJM Nasir went there.
MAYORAL ASPIRANTS IN NORTH
Thirty aspirants had collected nomination papers to run for the mayoral post in Dhaka North, but 21 of them submitted the papers till yesterday.
AL-blessed mayoral aspirant Annisul Huq went to the RO's office around 3:00pm.
He was accompanied by former food minister Abdur Razzak, ex-commerce minister Faruk Khan, former FBCCI president AK Azad, AL lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanok and BGMEA President Md Atiqul Islam.
"The chief of a major political party has extended support to me, and that has given me great strength," Annisul told reporters after filing nomination papers.
In response to a question, he said, "It is everyone's responsibility to create a level playing field for the city polls."
Annisul's main rival Mintoo, an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, didn't go to the RO's office. His son Tafsir Mohammad Awal submitted nomination papers on his behalf around 2:30pm.
Talking about the electoral environment, Tafsir told reporters that the Election Commission has yet to create a level playing field for the city polls.
Asked whether Mintoo has got BNP's support to contest the polls, Tafsir said, "Definitely ... We have the BNP chairperson's blessing."
Meanwhile, Tabith Awal, another son of Mintoo, also submitted nomination papers through a representative to contest for the mayoral post.
One of his supporters, Sazzad, collected nomination papers around 1:00pm.
Talking to this correspondent, Sazzad said, "We don't know why he [Tabith] is going to contest the polls. We have been asked to collect nomination papers."
A few hours later, Shahidul Alam, another supporter of Tabith, submitted those.
Jatiya Party-backed mayoral hopeful Bahauddin Ahmed Babul filed nomination papers to vie for the mayoral post. He demanded deployment of army personnel in the polls.
Former AL lawmaker Sarah Begum Kabori also submitted nomination papers to run for the mayoral position.
"I want women's empowerment. If I win, women in the capital will go forward," Kabori told reporters.
Replying to a query, she said, "I have come here with the prime minister's blessing."
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh Joint Secretary General Mahi B Chowdhury too joined the mayoral race.
"We want support from both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia. We want to develop a culture of politics of reconciliation," he said.
Nader Chowdhury, mayoral aspirant endorsed by the JSD, Bobby Hajjaj, sacked special adviser to JP Chairman HM Ershad, and Zonayed Saki, coordinator of left-leaning political platform Ganosamhati Andolan, among others, submitted nomination papers.
MAYORAL HOPEFULS IN SOUTH
Twenty-six mayoral aspirants filed nomination papers till yesterday in Dhaka South. Thirty-one hopefuls had collected the papers.
AL-backed mayoral hopeful Khokon filed nomination papers around 12:20pm. He was accompanied by AL leaders MA Aziz, Abdur Razzak, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and Fazley Noor Taposh.
BNP-blessed aspirant Abbas, also standing committee member of the party, submitted nomination papers through his lawyer around 4:00pm.
BNP leader Salam's nomination paper was submitted by his wife around 3:00pm.
Jailed ex-BNP lawmaker Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu submitted nomination papers through his wife Nasima Akhtar Kalpana.
Besides, JP-backed mayoral hopeful Haji Saifuddin Milon filed nomination papers to join the mayoral race.
Former AL lawmaker Golam Mawla Rony also submitted nomination papers to run for the mayoral position.
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