The BNP high-ups have decided to back Mahi B Chowdhury, joint secretary of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, in the mayoral race for Dhaka North City Corporation after the High Court yesterday upheld the Dhaka divisional commissioner’s order rejecting Abdul Awal Mintoo’s nomination.
The party will formally announce its decision to back Mahi in a day or two, party insiders said.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo summarily rejected Mintoo’s writ petition, filed on Sunday, challenging the divisional commissioner’s order.
On April 4, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Zillar Rahman had dismissed Mintoo’s appeal challenging the Returning Officer’s decision to cancel his nomination due to procedural flaws.
The HC order has left the BNP in a difficult situation especially since Khaleda Zia pinned high hopes on Mintoo, according to party insiders.
BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman is particularly keen on backing Mahi, son of former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, sources close to Tarique said.
Contacted, Mahi B Chowdhury told The Daily Star, “I’ll be very happy if BNP chairperson and her party backs me in the mayoral race.”
Apart from Mahi, the BNP had another option — Tabith Awal, son of Mintoo, who had also filed nomination as a mayoral hopeful. But he has already conveyed to Khaleda his unwillingness to contest the city polls as a section of party men suspect that his father’s deliberate mistake was meant to pave the way for his son, they added.
Considering different options, the BNP high-ups and Tarique prefer Mahi as he, as a young politician, will be able to attract the young generation, a party insider said.
“This will also give a message to the country’s young generation that BNP believes in new and young leadership,” he said.
Besides, the party high-ups also think the BNP will be able to reduce its gap with different pro-nationalist politicians including Badruddoza Chowdhury who was forced to resign from his presidential post and also from the party due to intra-party conflict soon after the BNP-led four-party had formed government in 2001, the source added.
However, Tarique who has been staying in London since 2008 could not be reached for comment as only selected BNP men are allowed to communicate with him.
Source: The Daily Star
