Candidates get election symbols

Election symbols were assigned to the candidates in the Gazipur City Corporation polls yesterday.
In the polls scheduled for July 6, seven candidates are vying for the mayoral position, 466 for the councillor positions and 126 for those of reserved for women.
Ajmat Ullah Khan, backed by the Awami League-led 14-party alliance, was given “pen and inkpot” while MA Mannan, backed by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, “television”.
Rebel AL candidate Jahangir Alam got “pineapple” whereas Mezbah Uddin Sarker “duck”. Independent candidates Aman Ullah, Rina Sultana and Nazim Uddin Ahmed got “lock”, “butterfly”, and “horse” symbols respectively.
Gazipur Returning Officer Motiar Rahman assigned the symbols, except the one for Nazim, in his office around 11:30am. Nazim's symbol was assigned by the Election Commission (EC).
More than 10 lakh people -- 499,181 males and 527,783 females -- will exercise their voting rights to elect the mayor as well as 57 councillors and 19 reserved women councillors.
The hectic canvassing for votes formally kicked off after the symbols were assigned.
According to the electoral code of conduct, said the returning officer, the aspirants are not allowed to paste posters on any building, wall, fence, vehicle, electric pole or tree.
“Nor are they allowed to use coloured posters, billboards or stickers,” he added.
There are 57 wards in the newly formed city corporation. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in the four polling stations at Ward 25.
The EC has declared July 6 a public holiday in Gazipur.
Meanwhile, the High Court yesterday cleared the way for Nazim, a mayor candidate from Sachetan Nagorik Parishad, to contest the polls, said Nazim's lawyer Kamal Hossain.
Following a writ petition filed by Nazim, the court stayed an EC decision that disqualified him, directing it to allow him to contest the polls and assign him a symbol.
The returning officer had cancelled his nomination paper on June 9 following the allegation of a loan default.
Challenging the cancellation, the independent candidate lodged an appeal with the EC, which was rejected on Friday.
Nazim filed the writ petition with the HC yesterday, saying he had not defaulted on any loan and the EC cancelled his nomination unlawfully.