Gazipur city polls: AL out to talk Zahangir out of race

The ruling Awami League is trying to convince Zahangir Alam, suspended mayor of Gazipur, to withdraw from the city corporation election.

He would otherwise face serious organisational action, insiders said, adding that some top leaders contacted Zahangir and asked him to support the person nominated by the party, instead of running for mayor himself. 

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud called Zahangir last week and asked him not to buy the nomination form.

After Zahangir bought the form, Quader asked Mirza Azam, AL organising secretary for Dhaka division, to persuade Zahangir.

The deadline for withdrawal of candidacy is May 8.

When this correspondent contacted him over the phone, Zahangir declined to comment on the developments.

If Zahangir participates in the election as an independent, he will be considered a "rebel candidate" of the AL. A top leader, wishing anonymity, said the party will take serious organisational action for this violation of discipline.

According to the AL constitution, a rebel can be expelled without prior notice for competing against an individual nominated by the party.

The AL leadership believes that if Zahangir takes part in the election on May 25, the chances of AL mayor nominee Azmat Ullah Khan's victory will be slim, insiders with knowledge of the development said.

The top leaders fear that Zahangir's participation will make the contest very tough for Azmat who in 2013 lost the city corporation election to BNP nominee MA Mannan partly because Zahangir, as an independent, bagged nearly 30,000 votes even though he announced quitting the race a few days before the polls took place.

Zahangir was elected Gazipur mayor in 2018 on the AL ticket. He also became the general secretary of Gazipur city AL.

But on November 19, 2021, he was expelled from the party after he was seen in a viral footage making derogatory remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and expressing doubts about the number of martyrs in the Liberation War.

Seven days after his expulsion, the government suspended him as mayor. The ruling party, however, granted him amnesty on January 21 this year.

He lusted after the AL nomination this time, but it went to Azmat.

Late last week, he bought a nomination form for himself and his mother Zaheda Khatun.

An Election Commission officer will examine his nomination papers today.

AL insiders say most of the top AL leaders in Gazipur support Azmat, but Zahangir has significant sway over activists and junior leaders.

Since the BNP is not in the election, some of its supporters may end up voting for Zahangir, and in that case, he may actually defeat Azmat, local AL activists say.

With the national election less than a year away, the last thing Awami League wants is a "rebel" defeating a party nominee.

Meanwhile, sources in the government say it is highly likely that Gazipur Metropolitan Police will get a new commissioner in a day or two.