It demands immediate handover of charges to new city mayors
Calling upon the government to immediately hand over charges to the newly elected city corporation mayors and councilors, senior BNP leader Moudud Ahmed on Monday said people through electing the BNP-backed candidates in the city polls have given a message that they want a change in the regime.
“The debacle of the ruling party in the city corporations’ polls has proved that the country’s people have no confidence in the current regime. They want a change in the government and gave their verdict against its misrule, corruption and repressive acts,” he said.
Moudud came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing wreaths along with the newly elected mayors of Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal at the grave of BNP founder late president Ziaur Rahman in the city.
Mentioning that they are happy as the Prime Minister administrated oath to the four city mayors, Moudud said, “We think the Prime Minster through conducting the oath has withdrawn her remarks that people have elected terrorists and corrupt in the city polls.”
Expressing concern over the news that the new mayors will have to wait until the expiry of the tenure of the previous mayors, the BNP leader said, “We demand the government to immediately hand over the charges to the new mayors and councillors.”
On Sunday, the new mayors were sworn in by the Prime Minister while the councillors by LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam at the Prime Minister’s Office in the capital.
The city mayors are Ariful Haque Chowdhury of Sylhet City Corporation, M Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul of Rajshahi City Corporation, M Moniruzzaman Moni of Khulna City Corporation and M Ahsan Habib Kamal of Barisal City Corporation. They were elected mayors thorough elections to their respective cities on June 15.
Moudud said the they have no confidence in the incumbent Election Commission as it failed to ensure free and fair elections to the five city corporations. “Had the elections been free and fair, BNP-backed candidates would have won with much bigger margins.”
He also claimed people in the city polls have given their verdicts in favour of holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, joint secretaries general Mizanur Rahman Minu, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Dhaka city unit BNP member secretary Abdus Salam were, among others, present.
