The capital is buzzing with city polls from the beginning of the New Year. The ruling Awami League, opposition BNP and other parties are contesting in this election. After the election of the eleventh parliament, the election of Dhaka City is going to be a test of these parties.
Already, several parties including Awami League (AL), BNP, Jatiyo Party (JP) have finalized their single candidate for the post of mayor and councilors. Atiqul Islam in Dhaka North City and Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas in South City have been nominated by the ruling party.
Although it was possible to finalize a single candidate in the mayor's office, there have been problems with the post of councilors. Almost every ward there is multiple AL candidates. Those who were able to earn the party support but the other candidates do not agree to give him any concession. As there is no party symbol in the councilor elections and no action taken against the rebels in the past, most of them are still determined to remain in the electoral field.
According to the schedule, a councilor election will be held in the two cities along with the mayor on January 30. On that day, 172 councilors will be elected. There are 54 general and 18 reserved women wards in Dhaka North and 75 general and 25 reserved women ward councilors in Dhaka South.
Of these 172 ward councilors, 1309 aspirants have collected filed nomination papers in support of the Awami League, out of which 1293 had finally submitted the nomination forms. Of these, there were 626 in the North and 667 four in the South.
Following the scrutiny of the local government nomination board, the party announced the names of the party-backed councilor candidates on two occasions on December 29 and December 30.
Those who received the support of the party as a councilor candidates, are excited for receiving, the party nod while those who did not get were disappointed. Many again decided to stay on the polling ground without the support of the party. Which has caused a lot of anxiety to the party’s high command? There are even doubts over the unity of councilors, which could have an impact on the election of mayor.
However, the Awami League is not hard about these rebel candidates. Instead, they want to wait until January 9. Earlier, through the negotiations, the government party is seeking to return the rebel candidates to the councilor's office through discussions. The party's high command sees the issue of submitting nomination papers of the party's rebels in the councilor's election as "a manifestation of passion".
According to Election Commission sources, 1025 candidates have submitted nomination papers against the 172 posts in the two cities. On an average, 6 candidates are contesting in each ward. January 9 is the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers. On that day, it will be who are lasting as a candidate.
Therefore, the Awami League high command has emphasized on unifying the party before January 30. Already the central leaders of the party have also addressed the attitude of the party in front of the grassroots leaders. Central leaders have called on the Awami League-nominated mayoral candidates and party-backed councilors, outside the reserved councilors, to contest any election in Dhaka North City Corporation.
They also directed the Awami League minded councilor candidates to work for the party by withdrawing the nomination of the Awami League leaders who had submitted their nomination. It is advisable to work for the benefit of the party by devoting one's interests.
At a special meeting of Dhaka North Awami League, Tofail Ahmed, a member of the Presidium of the party, said, "I could not give nomination to all as councilors. Please don't be any other candidate. If you do, I think you have no loyalty to the party. "
Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said, "Our goal is to get the only party-backed councilors to win." Politics is not of a single day, those who did not get nomination, your work will be evaluated in the future. They should follow the leader's instructions. We do not want the Awami League men disobey the leader's instructions for his own interests.
The Presidium member of the party, Lt. Col(Rtd) Farooq Khan said that there was no doubt about the party's unity with the party's rebel candidate in the councilor elections.
Farooq Khan on Thursday(Jan.2) evening told barta24.com that "We are not scared, but it has created some anxiety. Because in every ward there are more than one competent candidate of Awami League. They deserve the nomination so they want the nomination. But we can't give it to all. May be many people have submitted nomination papers for this. And that's not too many seats. There may be multiple candidates in a few seats. We will try to make them feel loyal and respectful. Because the people we deal with are not machines, we deal with people.
Farooq Khan also said that if outside the party nominee candidates withdraw their candidature and give full support to the party before January 9, then they will be given opportunities at different levels of the party.
Awami League joint general secretary of Pallabi thana unit Kadam Ali Madbar got the nomination of Awami League in ward 2 of Dhaka North City Corporation. To the contrary, the former councilor Ismail Hossain Benu also filed nomination paper. Kadam Ali Madbar is not concerned about Benu's candidacy.
He told barta24.com that all candidates who sought the boat's support had already signed a withdrawal form from the Awami League nomination form. So the candidature of Benu’s filing of nomination paper. Ultimately there will be no division rather all will work unitedly, Kadam Ali Madbar said.