Badsha quits Rajshahi mayoral race

Fazle Hossain Badsha

Workers Party Politburo Member Fazle Hossain Badsha dropped out of the mayoral race in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) yesterday clearing the way for Awami League (AL) leader AHM Khairuzzaman Liton for running in the August 4 poll there with an undisputed nomination from 14-party coalition.
Badsha, who was earlier nominated by the AL-led coalition, quit the race in the face of a strong demand from the local unit of the coalition for nominating Liton, an AL central working committee member also Rajshahi city unit general secretary.
"I, Fazle Hossain Badsha, withdrew my candidacy for personal reasons," Badsha wrote in his request to the Rajshahi deputy election commissioner for withdrawing his candidacy.
Emerging from the local election commission office after withdrawing his candidacy around 4.30pm, Badsha however told reporters that he withdrew his candidacy for 'political reasons, to maintain the unity of non-communal democratic forces'.
Mixed reactions were sparked in 14-party coalition following Badsha's withdrawal from the race. In Sylhet, local Workers Party leaders and workers withdrew their support for detained Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, who is the 14-party nominee there.
Meanwhile, a total of 16 mayoral aspirants, 145 councillorship aspirants and 3 aspirants to seats reserved for women withdrew their candidacies yesterday in the city corporations of Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal.
After the withdrawal of candidacies, in Khulna six are now running for mayor, 206 are running for councillorship, and 46 women are running for the reserved seats.
In Barisal 10 are running for mayor, 145 for councillorship, and 39 for the reserved seats.
In Sylhet 15 are running for mayor, 197 for councillorship, and 46 are running for the reserved seats for women.
In Rajshahi 15 are running for mayor, 203 for councillorship, and 63 for the reserved seats.
Thee mayoral aspirants, 32 councillorship aspirants, and two aspirants to women's reserved seats dropped out of the races in Barisal alone.
In Rajshahi two mayoral aspirants, 36 councillorship aspirants, and 1 woman aspirant to a reserved seat withdrew from the race.
In Sylhet four mayoral aspirants and 18 councillorship aspirants dropped out of the race yesterday.
In Khulna five mayoral aspirants and 59 councillorship aspirants withdrew their candidacies.
Following Badsha's withdrawal of candidacy in RCC, leaders of 14-party coalition seemed relieved, although Workers' Party expressed unambiguous disappointment.
While most of the coalition leaders said Badsha showed 'political wisdom' by stepping out of the race, its component Workers Party's chief Rashed Khan Menon said, "Badsha withdrew his candidacy for personal reasons, which does not mean Liton is the 14-party nominee. At least Workers Party is not there to support Liton."
Criticising Liton for 'defying the coalition's decision', he said the media in Rajshahi spread misinformation regarding local 14-party unit's support for Liton.
Badsha and Liton however held a joint news conference and vowed to work together, after the former's withdrawal of candidacy.
Menon, a key-leader of the coalition, also said his party will sit within a couple of days to decide whether they will continue to contest in local government polls jointly with the components of the coalition. Asked whether the unity of the coalition will be affected due to Badsha's withdrawal from the RCC poll, Menon said, "We stand by secularism."
AL Presidium Member Motia Chowdhury said, "Badsha has shown political wisdom and he will get the return in the future."
RAJSHAHI
Around 5.30pm, Badsha and Liton held a joint news conference where Badsha said, "Now I'll work for Rajshahi 14-party," adding that although 14-party high-ups had nominated him as the mayoral candidate, locally it was very difficult to implement the central decision, reported our Rajshahi correspondent.
"I took the decision for the greater interest of 14-party," he said, while Liton praised him saying he is a 'wise politician'.
"All problems have been solved and now we will work jointly for the victory", Liton said adding, "Now I'm very much hopeful of a victory."
Earlier, around 3.00pm, members of Rajshahi Nagorik Committee, and 14-party leaders jointly held a meeting with Badsha in Muktijodha Pathagar office.
After an hour long meeting, Badsha along with 14-party leaders went to the election office to withdraw his candidacy, followed by hundreds of leaders and activists, creating a huge a traffic jam in that area.
Badsha told reporters, "I didn't compromise, nor did I make any agreement with any party or person."
Meanwhile, former BNP lawmaker Jahan Panna yesterday dropped out of the mayoral race.
Awami League Rajshahi City Unit President Masudul Haque Dulu however is still running for mayor.
After Panna's withdrawal, three BNP leaders including Acting RCC Mayor Rejaunnabi Dudu, former district BNP general secretary Enamul Haque, and City Unit Jubo Dal President Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul are running in the mayoral race.
SYLHET
Three leaders of AL and one of BNP dropped out of the mayoral race there yesterday.
They are, former AL lawmaker Inamul Haque Chowdhury Bir Protik, District AL Vice-president Abduj Jahir Chowdhury Sufian, AL City Unit Secretary Misbah Uddin Siraj, and City Unit BNP General Secretary Nasim Hossain, reported our Sylhet correspondent.
Former Sylhet pourashava chairman also AL leader Babrul Hossain Babul still remains in the race defying his party decision.
Babul, at a news conference yesterday afternoon said by nominating Kamran for the mayoral race, AL made a great mistake. It proves there is a crisis of honest people in the party, he added saying, city residents will not vote for a person who is in jail for corruption.
On Nasim's withdrawal, two from BNP remain in the race. They are former district BNP chief MA Haque and former Sylhet pourashava chairman AFM Kamal.
KHULNA
The five who dropped out of the mayoral race in Khulna are Jatiya Party leader Abdul Gaffar Biswas, Khulna Development Forum leader Sharif Shafiqul Hamid Chandan, ward level AL leader Mallik Abid Hossain Kabir, Progressive Democratic Party leader Amjad Khan Majlish, and an independent candidate Monirul Islam.
Although, 14-party nominated Khulna City AL President Talukder Abdul Khaleque for mayor, AL leader Advocate Enayet Ali is still running under the banner of Nagorik Forum, according to our Khulna correspondent.
On the other hand, although BNP-led four-party is formally boycotting the KCC poll, the city's Acting Mayor also Senior Member of City BNP Convening Committee Moniruzzaman Moni is still running for re-election even after both factions of BNP had warned him of disciplinary actions including expulsion from the party if he does not drop out.
BARISAL
BNP leader also Acting BCC Mayor Awlad Hossain Dilu, AL leaders Alamgir Hossain Khan Alo and Mahmudul Haque Khan Mamun dropped out of the mayoral race there, reported our Barisal correspondent.
BNP finally has two candidates there. They are former mayor also former city president of BNP Ahsan Habib Kamal and former district BNP general secretary also President of Barisal Chambers of Commerce and Industries Ebadul Haque Chan.
Although 14-party coalition nominated Barisal City AL Convener Shawkat Hossain Hiron as its mayoral candidate, there are two other contestants including Enayet Pir Khan, a leader of Gono Forum, which is a component of the coalition.