Race for Councillor: BNP struggling to rein in grassroots
Ignoring the BNP's decision of boycotting the five city polls, some 25 grassroots party leaders, including six incumbent councillors, have filed nomination forms to run for councillor in the June 21 Sylhet city polls.
Although the councillor elections are not held along party lines, the BNP is taking tough actions against its leaders for participating in the city polls.
The opposition party has already expelled 29 leaders for life for taking part in today's Gazipur city polls.
Sylhet BNP is struggling to refrain some grassroots leaders from participating in the councillor polls despite holding several meetings with them.
The party now hopes that its leaders will withdraw by June 1, the last date for withdrawal of candidature. The last date for filing nomination papers was May 23.
The BNP was mostly worried about whether Sylhet Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, also a member of the party central committee, would run in the election as an independent.
Ariful on May 20 declared that he would not take part in the city polls.
A day before Ariful's announcement, former joint convener of Sylhet city BNP Rezaul Hasan Koyes Ludhi, also an incumbent councillor, said he decided not to participate in the election.
Six incumbent councillors who have filed nomination forms are Farhad Chowdhury Shamim, former joint convener of Sylhet city BNP and also the councillor of ward-6, Syed Tawfiqul Hadi, former organising secretary of Sylhet city BNP and also the councillor of ward-1, Abdur Rakib Tuhin, councillor of ward-21, Nazrul Islam Munim, councillor of ward-14, and ABM Zillur Rahman, councillor of ward-18.
Roksana Begum Shahnaz, president of Sylhet city Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal and also a councillor for the reserved seat for women in ward-9, has submitted her nomination paper to vie for councillor in ward-25.
Besides, Sylhet District Mohila Dal President Shaleha Kobir Shepi and Sylhet District Chhatra Dal President Altaf Hussain Sumon have filed their nomination forms to participate in the councillor polls.
Abdul Quiyum Chowdhury, president of Sylhet district BNP, said they tried for several weeks to convince the party leaders of the negative impact of their decision on the party's movement for a free and fair national election.
"Party high-ups have already announced that those who would go against its decision will be handed the highest punishment. We will wait till June 1. We believe that the party leaders will withdraw by then," he told The Daily Star.
Speaking to this correspondent wishing anonymity, a Sylhet BNP leader said the local party leaders managed to refrain around 14 councillor hopefuls from taking part in the polls after holding several meetings with them. Among the 14 are former councillors Syed Misbah Uddin and Dinar Khan Hasu.
Syed Tawfiqul Hadi, a councillor hopeful, said, "People of my ward [ward-1] requested me to take part in the election. To respect their will, I have submitted my nomination form."
Roksana Begum Shahnaz said she was elected councillor thrice for a reserved seat for women, but she couldn't do anything for the people of her ward.
"This time around, I have decided to run for general councillor to do some good work for the people," she added.
Abdur Rakib Tuhin, councillor of ward-21, said he believed a candidate's personal image is more important than the party's image in the elections to local bodies. "I am not a leader but a supporter of the BNP. I believe my decision of taking part in the polls will not have any impact on the party."
Farhad Chowdhury Shamim, councillor of ward-6, said he would soon hold a press conference to explain his stance on taking part in the election.