Controversial persons won’t get AL nomination: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said the controversial persons will not get the nomination for contesting the election to the Dhaka north and south city corporations.

“We are conducting surveys in different ways. We are taking opinions from the grass-roots of the two city corporations,” Quader said.

He came up with the party’s decision while inaugurating the construction work of six-lane expressway on Dhaka Bypass Road in Rupganj of Narayanganj, our local correspondent reports.

“The reports of intelligence agencies have already reached us... Taking all of these into consideration, we will nominate the persons who are acceptable to the people and have the possibility to win the election,” he said. “It’s our decision that we will not give nomination to the controversial persons.”

Saying that AL-led government will not interfere in the Dhaka city polls, Quader said they would assist the Election Commission to hold a free, fair and credible election.

About submission of the nomination papers, he said, “There is still time to submit the nomination forms till tomorrow. We have so far collected the forms of eight candidates and also several candidates may submit the papers by today.”

“We have started providing nomination forms. We will select hopefuls for 172 councillor posts in the party’s nomination board meeting tomorrow,” he added.

The elections to Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation will be held on January 30.

The last date for submitting nomination papers is December 31 and the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is January 9. The EC will scrutinise nomination papers on January 2.