BNP gears up for CCC polls

With BNP willing to contest the next Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) election, party leaders and activists are already gearing up to take the field in full strength.

At least three leaders of the party have expressed their interest to vie for the mayoral post in the polls -- likely to be held in the first quarter of next year, said BNP insiders.

The three aspirants are city unit president Shahadat Hossain, vice president Abu Sufian and general secretary Abul Hashem Bakkar.

On receiving green light from the party high command, local leaders have already started reorganising at ward level, party sources said. New committees for at least 29 wards out of total 41 have been formed since August, they added.

Shahadat and Sufian contested the 11th parliamentary polls from Chattogram-9 (Kotwali) and Chattogram-8 (Chandgaon-Boalkhali) constituencies respectively but they could not win.

Bakkar sought party nomination from Chattogram-9, but to no avail. Now, he wants an opportunity to prove his capability in the CCC election.

Contacted, Shahadat said he has been working for reformation of the ward level committees for a long time ahead of CCC election.

“If my party wants, I will seek nomination for the mayoral post,” he said.

Sufian said top party leaders asked him to strengthen its activities to compete in the upcoming CCC polls. “My experience in the 11th general election was bitter. We still think there is no atmosphere for fair polls under the present Election Commission and government,” said Sufian.

“We can’t hold our party programmes due to hindrance from the administration,” said the BNP leader.

About nomination for the mayoral post, Sufian said, “I will go for it if my party high command wants me to contest.”

Several other BNP leaders think the present situation is different than that of the 11th parliamentary election. BNP-backed candidate AKM Ariful Islam was elected councillor in the July 25 by-polls to ward-17 of CCC, which boosted confidence of grassroots-level activists.

They said Ariful’s win once again proved that their party is still popular among the masses.

Voters in the ward said they felt enthusiastic as both Awami League and BNP-backed candidates participated in the by-election.

“The election was free and fair... Law enforcers played a neutral role,” said Taherul Islam, a resident of the ward. “We want the upcoming CCC polls in the same inclusive manner.”

Alongside the CCC polls, BNP leader Bakkar said, the party is ready for movement to free its chief Khaleda Zia from jail. “Considering the issues, we are strengthening the party at grassroots level.”

He said although he was interested to vie for the mayoral post, he had not got an opportunity to showcase his strength. “If I get a chance this time, I will utilise it.”

Talking to The Daily Star, BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the party will participate in the CCC election “although the ruling AL people have been involved in election engineering”.

“By taking part in the elections, we want to expose them [AL government] to public,” he said.

Munir Hussain Khan, district election officer, said schedule of the city corporation polls is likely to be declared in February next year and the election may be held in March.

HISTORY OF CCC MAYORAL POST

Chattogram municipality was declared a city corporation in 1990, with Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury appointed the first mayor by the government, followed by Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin, according to the CCC website. In 1994, AL leader ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury became the first elected city mayor. He was re-elected in 2000 and in 2005, the second time defeating Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin of BNP.

Later, BNP’s Manjur Alam Manju won the mayoral race in 2010, defeating Mohiuddin.

After his term, the mayoral post went back to AL as AJM Nasir Uddin won the polls on April 28, 2015, and is the incumbent mayor.