AL leaders say no scope for backing

A day after three organising secretaries of Awami League conveyed party backing to Shamim Osman in the Narayanganj City Corporation polls, two top party leaders yesterday said they cannot “openly” support anyone in local elections.
“As per the election law, we cannot support anybody overtly. We'll sit soon to decide on our next course of action,” AL Joint Secretary General Mahbubul Alam Hanif told private television channel ATN Bangla.
Party adviser Suranjit Sengupta also echoed the view.
“Constitution and related laws do not allow partisan elections to the local government bodies,” Suranjit told a discussion at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.
Ending the weeks-long confusion, the ruling AL on Thursday decided to stand behind Shamim in his bid for the office of mayor in the October 30 election.
“The Awami League high command has supported Shamim Osman in the polls, and we conveyed him the message,” Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, an organising secretary of the party, told The Daily Star on Thursday night.
Selina Hayat Ivy, vice-president of Narayanganj city unit AL, is also a mayoral hopeful in the maiden city polls.
Both Shamim and Ivy were expecting party backing for their candidacies.
Suranjit, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the law ministry, said he personally believes that the local polls should also be partisan election, but the relevant laws should be amended for that.
He hoped that the Election Commission will be able to hold the polls peacefully and that the election results will reflect the desire of the people.