Mayoral aspirants submit nomination papers in city

Anisul-Huq

Mayoral aspirants for the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporations are submitting nomination papers on the last day.
Heavyweight candidates backed by two major political alliances have submitted their nomination papers amid festivity. Some of the aspirants breached the electoral code of conducts as they crowded the local returning office though only five persons including the candidate were allowed during submission and collection of the nomination papers. In Dhaka South City Corporation, 26 aspirants for mayoral post submitted their nomination paper on the day. They are Awami League-backed Sayeed Khokan, Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed Mirza Abbas, Asaduzzman Ripon, Abdus Salam, and Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, former lawmaker Golam Mawla Rony, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal leader Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Mohammad Saifuddin Chwodhury Manik, Shahidul Islam, Abdur Rahman, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Moshiur Rahman, ASM Akram, Kazi Abul Bashar, Abu Naser, Mohammad Masud Hossain, Babul Sardar Chakhari, Md Ayub Hossain, Abdul Khalek, Dilip Bhadra, Shahin Khan, Md Shafiullah Chowdhury, Md Riazuddin, Md Bahrane Sultan Bahar, Akhteruzzaman Alias Ayatullah and Imtiaz Alam.
Sayeed Khokon reached the retuning officer’s office in a motorcade flanked by hundreds of followers.
Former food minister Abdur Razzaque and former lawmaker Mostofa Zalal Mohiuddin, among others, were present during his (Khokon) form submission.
Ruling alliance supported Annisul Huq, Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo, his son Tabith Awal, Awami League leader Kabari Sarwar, Bobby Hajjaj, Bahauddin Ahmed Babul, Jaman Bhuiyan, and AYM Kamrul Islam dropped their papers for the Dhaka North City Corporation polls.
Flanked by Awami League leaders Faruk Khan and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, BGMEA president Atiqul Islam, former FBCCI president AK Azad and former food minister Abdur Razzaque, Annisul submitted his nomination paper in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Tafsir M Awal and Tazwar M Awal, sons of Abdul Awal Mintoo, submitted the nomination paper of their father on his behalf.
Tafsir told newsmen that they were concerned with ‘level playing field’.
‘The Election Commission has to ensure that everyone gets the equal opportunity,’ he said.
When asked about the army deployment during the polls, Tafsir said that it is the matter of the Election Commission.
He, however, did not comment over his brother Tabith Awal’s submission of the nomination paper for the mayoral post.
Shahidul Alam on behalf of Tabith Awal submitted the paper this afternoon after hours Tabith collected the nomination form.
Meanwhile, another mayoral aspirant for Dhaka North City Corporation Mohammad Naeem Hasan was punished for violated the electoral code of conduct when he came to drop his nomination paper to the returning officer’s office with a horse cart.
The on-duty magistrate Sarwar Alam fined him Tk 20,000, in default, one-month imprisonment.
On March 18, the chief election commissioner had announced that the mayoral polls in Dhaka South City, Dhaka North City and the port city of Chittagong would be held on April 28.
The Election Commission announced the election schedules for the three cities under the amended Local Government (City Corporation) Election Rules.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers by the returning officers would take place on April 1 and 2.
April 9 is the last date for the withdrawal of candidature.
The EC will allocate election symbols on April 10.
Source: New Age