Published on 12:16 AM, June 15, 2013

Picking Mayors

RAJSHAHI

AREA 92.72 sq km     VOTERS 2,86,917     MAYORAL CANDIDATES 3
POLLING CENTRES 137 RISKY POLLING CENTRES 104
COUNCILLOR POSTS 30 CANDIDATES 155
COUNCILLOR POSTS (reserved) 10 CANDIDATES 66
Declared  municipality: 1876  city corporation: 1987
PREVIOUS ELECTIONS 1994, 2002, 2008

AHM KHAIRUZZAMAN LITON AHM KHAIRUZZAMAN LITON
Immediate past mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, 54, has been involved in politics since his student life. He joined Bangladesh Awami League in 1986.
Son of national leader AHM Kamaruzzaman, Liton completed his honours from the University of Calcutta in English in 1979 and LLB from the University of Rajshahi in 1983. He became a bar council member in 1985.
Rajshahi City Awami League's General Secretary Khairuzzaman Liton contested the parliamentary elections in 1996 and 2001 from Rajshahi-2.
Backed by his party, he was elected RCC mayor in the 2008 elections, defeating local BNP leader Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul by 24,000 votes.
He showed his profession as a lawyer. He is not accused in any criminal case.
With annual income of Tk 58.75 lakh and net wealth of Tk 1.66 crore, Liton is the richest among three mayoral aspirants.
In his election pledges, he promised to complete the ongoing projects he took during his term to turn Rajshahi into a modern city with all civic facilities, including expanded gas lines and other utilities.

MOSADDEK HOSSAIN BULBUL MOSADDEK HOSSAIN BULBUL
Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, a BNP-backed mayoral candidate in Rajshahi City Corporation polls, became active in politics in his student life at Rajshahi University.
The 48-year old BNP central committee member has masters in social science and LLB degrees.
Bulbul showed in affidavit his profession as a businessman, and annual income of Tk 1.92 lakh in 2012-13. His net wealth is Tk 16.12 lakh.
He is an accused in two criminal cases filed in 2011 and 2012 for political violence. He was acquitted of charges in the 2011 case, lodged under the speedy trial act.
Also Rajshahi city Jubo Dal president, Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul contested the last mayoral elections in 2008. He lost the polls, bagging around 76,000 votes.
In his election manifesto, he promises to work with various political parties, professional and business bodies as well as citizens to improve law and order and governance and establish justice.
One of his pledges is to end the tradition of using the city corporation as a “partisan office”.

KHULNA

AREA 45.65 sq km     VOTERS 4,40,566     MAYORAL CANDIDATES 3
POLLING CENTRES 288 RISKY POLLING CENTRES 202
COUNCILLOR POSTS 31 CANDIDATES 137
COUNCILLOR POSTS (reserved) 10 CANDIDATES 45
Declared municipality: 1884 city corporation: 1984
PREVIOUS ELECTIONS1994, 2002, 2008

MONIRUZZAMAN MONYMONIRUZZAMAN MONY
Moniruzzaman Mony acted as mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) for nine months during 2007-08 when military-backed caretaker regime was in power.
He is now fighting to get elected as mayor with support of the BNP-led 18-party alliance.
Mony was elected commissioner twice of Khulna City Corporation.
Mony passed HSC. He is a contractor by profession and has properties worth Tk 29.55 lakh.
The local BNP leader was an accused in a criminal case. He, however, was acquitted of the charge.
Moniruzzaman Mony in his election manifesto pledged to introduce a governance system that would be transparent, accountable and democratic.
He wants to build Khulna as a clean and peaceful city.
The mayoral aspirant also pledged to form a consultation committee comprised of experienced persons in Khulna aimed at formulating a short, medium and long-term citizens' plan.

TALUKDER ABDUL KHALEQUETALUKDER ABDUL KHALEQUE
Immediate past mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque, a businessman, has drawn huge public attention as he is the richest man among all the mayoral candidates in Khulna. His main business is shrimp cultivation.
A college graduate, Khaleque was also a state minister during AL-led government in between 1996-2001. He was elected lawmaker in 1991, 1996 and 2001 parliamentary polls from a Bagerhat constituency.
He was also elected ward commissioner twice between 1977 and 1988.  He was elected mayor of the Khulna City Corporation in 2008.
A freedom fighter, he began his political career by joining East Pakistan Chhatra League.
He has faced nine cases but been discharged of charges.
The 14-party backed 62-year-old candidate in his manifesto promises to work for introducing city government in the city areas and form a consultation committee with all the mayoral candidates, local professional and business bodies and civil society members to formulate a mega plan for development of the city.

SYLHET

AREA 26.50 sq km     VOTERS 2,91,046     MAYORAL CANDIDATES 3
POLLING CENTRES 127 RISKY POLLING CENTRES 62
COUNCILLOR POSTS 27 CANDIDATES 139
COUNCILLOR POSTS (reserved) 9 CANDIDATES 35
Declared municipality: 1878 city corporation: 2001
PREVIOUS ELECTIONS 2003, 2008

ARIFUL HAQUE CHOWDHURYARIFUL HAQUE CHOWDHURY
Ariful Haque Chowdhury claimed himself as "self-educated". A cement dealer by profession, he owns a gas filling station in partnership and is also a supplier of sand and stone in Sylhet. Besides, he owns a dairy farm.
The 18-party alliance-backed candidate has net wealth worth Tk 3,99,27,513.
Ariful, also former city BNP chief, was elected commissioner in 2003 Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) election. He made a strong position in the city during that period when he was made the president of City Development Committee formed by the corporation.
He was the general secretary of city BNP at that time when his party was in power.
Ariful has no case against him at present. Proceedings of all three cases, filed during the immediate past caretaker regime, have been stayed by the High Court.
In his election manifesto, he promised to form an advisory council with eminent citizens.

BADAR UDDIN AHMED KAMRANBADAR UDDIN AHMED KAMRAN
Immediate-past mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran is a supplier of sand and stone by profession. Kamran, who mentioned HSC as his educational qualification, owns assets worth Tk 5.62 crore.
The annual income of the 62-year-old is Tk 15.49 lakh. He earned Tk 11.01 lakh in remuneration as mayor.
Kamran has a long history of serving Sylhet city dwellers. Beginning his journey as an elected municipal commissioner back in 1973, he was elected municipal chairman in 1995.
He was elected mayor of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) twice in 2003 and 2008 when his party was not in power. Despite being in jail for corruption charges, he got people's verdict in the 2008 election.
The 14-party alliance-backed candidate faces no case. He was acquitted of charges in all the four cases..
In his election charter, he promised to carry out massive development activities to improve city dwellers' living standard .

BARISAL

AREA 45 sq km     VOTERS 2,11,257     MAYORAL CANDIDATES 3
POLLING CENTRES 100 RISKY POLLING CENTRES 60
COUNCILLOR POSTS 30 CANDIDATES 116
COUNCILLOR POSTS (reserved) 10 CANDIDATES 45
Declared municipality: 1876 city corporation: 2002
PREVIOUS ELECTIONS 2003, 2008

AHSAN HABIB KAMALAHSAN HABIB KAMAL
Ahsan Habib Kamal, 18-party alliance-backed candidate, had performed as a municipal commissioner, administrator and chairman for 18 years.
Kamal, 54, has completed HSC. His business firm produces feed for livestock and annual income of his family is Tk 9.30 lakh. He has movable and immovable family assets worth Tk 53.73 lakh.
Kamal contested the second BCC election in 2008 and placed third with 26,416 votes. He faced expulsion from the post of city BNP president for contesting the election ignoring the party's decision.
The expulsion order against him, however, was withdrawn in 2011 and he returned to the previous post. Kamal was made district (south) BNP chief in 2013.
Kamal, accused in six cases in last 20 years, was acquitted of charges in four cases. One out of two other cases lodged in 2012 is still under investigation and proceedings of another case lodged by Anti-Corruption Commission have been stayed by the High Court since 2012.
In his 22-point election manifesto, Kamal promised to carry out overall development works by consulting the people of all walks of life.

SHAWKAT HOSSAIN HIRONSHAWKAT HOSSAIN HIRON
Shawkat Hossain Hiron is a businessman, as stated in his affidavit, with yearly family income of Tk 3.46 crore from a wide range of businesses including shipping, transport, clinic, pharmaceutical and diagnostic centres.
An LLB, the 57-year-old outgoing mayor of Barisal City Corporation has movable and immovable personal and family assets worth Tk 10.78 crore.
Hiron was the joint secretary and general secretary of city unit Jatiya Party in 1986-97.
Joining Awami League in 1998, he contested 2001 parliamentary elections from Barisal-5 constituency when he was the city AL convener, but was defeated by district BNP president Mojibor Rahman Sarwar.
With Awami League support, Hiron was elected second mayor of Barisal City Corporation in 2008, defeating Progressive Democratic Party-backed Sarfuddin Santu by a small margin of 588 votes.
This time his challenger is BNP-led 18-party alliance favourite Ahsan Habib Kamal.
In his 23-point manifesto, Hiron promises to carry out massive development activities and ensure political co-existence.
Currently, he is not facing any lawsuit.

 

KEY JOBS OF A CITY CORPORATION

  • Responsible for health services
  • Waste removal, collection and dumping
  • Arrange adequate numbers of public toilets, latrines and urinals alongside maintenance
  • Keep records of birth, death and marriages
  • Take measures to prevent and control contagious diseases
  • Build and maintain health centre, welfare centre for women and children
  • Can establish hospital and dispensaries
  • Ensure adequate supply of water; construct drains
  • Responsible for preservation and management of water bodies.
  • Set up and maintain bazars for general masses.
  • Registration of sale of cattle and livestock improvement
  • Formulate and implement master plan for urban development
  • Construct sufficient numbers of roads for people; repair and maintain streets
  • Control traffic
  • Ensure public safety and disaster management
  • Plant trees and preserve trees, parks, gardens and forests
  • Arrange open space inside the city
  • Education, culture and social welfare activities

 

PREPARED BY: Shakhawat Liton & Wasim Bin Habib in association with Our Correspondents in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet.
Source: Affidavits of the candidates, EC and Websites of four corporations.

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