Sylhet getting ready for its first city corpn polls

Sylhet is getting warmed up with the first city corporation polls scheduled for March 20 approaching. Though a number of aspiring mayoral and ward commissioner candidates started campaign long ago, they are in great anxiety, awaiting decision from their respective political parties.

Officially, political parties are not allowed to nominate candidates in local body polls but they fully back party men and campaign for them.

Sources said the ruling Four-Party Alliance in the district is in serious trouble in finalising its mayoral candidate. But a number of its leaders are in the field for long, keeping party activists and people in a fix.

The aspiring candidates are busy now lobbying with party high-ups. A decision will be made soon, they said.

Sylhet district BNP President MA Haque has been campaigning even before a gazette notification formally upgraded the Sylhet Pourashava into a city corporation.

The sources said he has a good backing in the party rank and file and also enjoys blessings of party stalwart Finance Minister Saifur Rahman.

But he has a strong rival -- AFM Kamal-- who was elected chairman of the pourashava twice independently. He also has a good base in the party and a "reserve vote bank" in the city. Some sources even said he is in a better position than Haque.

Besides, district BNP General Secretary Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Joint Secretary Badruzzaman Selim are among some others in the queue. They also launched campaign in city areas long ago with multi-coloured posters, leaflets, banners.

However, the sources said, the ruling party's likely candidate would be either AFM Kamal or MA Haque. If Kamal does not get the party nod, he may contest as an independent candidate, some sources claimed. This may go in favour of opposition Aswami League.

On the other hand, Awami League is in a better position so far as selection of the mayoral candidate is concerned, party sources said.

Former pourshava chairman Badar Uddin Kamran is being considered to be the only candidate from Awami League. He was tipped for the mayoral post when the pourashava was upgraded to city corporation in July last year at the fag end of AL rule.

This gave him a scope to strengthen his position. He was then president of Sylhet town AL. He retained the post when Sylhet was made a city corporation.

Kamran may face a strong fight if Kamal becomes the lone candidate from the ruling alliance, many party activists and people said. But, if Haque is the alliance candidate and Kamal remains in the race as an independent candidate, the fight will be between Kamal and Kamran, they said.

February 23 is the last date for filing nomination papers, which will be scrutinised on February 24. March 3 is the last date for withdrawal.

There are 27 posts of ward commissioner and nine reserved seats for women. One woman commissioner will be elected from three wards.