CCC Mayoral Race: BNP to announce nominee on Feb 24
BNP will declare its mayoral candidate for Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) polls on February 24. Party insiders, however, said unlike Awami League, which chose a surprise candidate, their leadership will not make such a move.
Meanwhile, not too many leaders have sought nomination from BNP, unlike the situation with AL.
While AL chose Rezaul Karim Chowdhury as its mayoral candidate among 19 nomination seekers, only six have bought nomination forms from BNP office.
They are -- city unit president Shahadat Hossain, general secretary Abul Hashem Bakkar, vice presidents Niaz Mohammad Khan and Syed Azam Uddin, women affairs secretary Lucy Khan and former joint general secretary Ershad Ullah -- said Idris Ali, city unit assistant office secretary.
BNP Chattogram Divisional Organising Secretary Mahbubur Rahman Shamim said leaders and activists do not believe fair polls can be held under the present EC.
"You've all seen what happened in Dhaka city corporation polls and in the by-polls to Chattogram-8 constituency," he said. "For this reason, not too many leaders are interested to contest the election."
"We'll take part in the polls to expose the government and EC," he said. "Besides, we've taken it as part of the movement to free our leader Khaleda Zia from jail."
"Through campaigning in the election, we can reach the people, which we can't normally do due to the repressive attitude of the government and law enforcers," he added.
Contacted, Abul Hashem Bakkar said he was hopeful to get party nomination. "I have reached this position after doing politics at grassroots level for a long time and have been in multiple movements for years," he said.
Shahadat Hossain could not be reached over phone.
Contacted, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP central standing committee member, told this newspaper, "We are participating for the sake of keeping the democratic system in place."
Comments