Dhaka, 09 Jan – The BNP will finalise its candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral by-poll at party standing committee meeting on Saturday.“The BNP-led 20-party alliance will announce its mayoral candidate on January 13 (Saturday). The announcement will be given after the meeting of the party standing committee on the day,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He was talking to journalists after namaz-e-janaza of former ward commissioner and party executive member Abdul Mazid in front of the party central office at Naya Paltan on Tuesday afternoon.
The BNP leader said they would announce a single candidate on behalf of the alliance. Since the mayoral election is held partisan basis, the candidate however will vie the poll with the sheaf of paddy, the election symbol of the BNP.
Replying to a question he said they demanded deployment of army during the next national election.
He hoped that army would also be deployed during the DNCC mayoral polls and demanded army deployment seven days prior to the elections.
On fielding a candidate by Jamaat-e-Islami, a major partner of the alliance, he said there would be no problem with the Jamaat candidature.
“We will resolve the matter through talks. There will be a single candidate of the 20-party alliance,” he said.
The BNP leader further said the 20-party leaders entrusted the responsibility to the party chairperson Khaleda Zia to select the DNCC mayoral candidate. They said that they would extend their support who ever would be given nomination by the chairperson, he added.
Replying to another question, he said their previous stance on formation of the Election Commission was right as he said the method of formation of the EC was not proper one.
He alleged that the chief election commissioner is not a neutral person and said the DNCC polls would make it clear as to what would be the role of the EC during the next general elections.
“Whether the EC will be able to hold the next parliamentary election in a free and fair manner will depend on this election, he observed.
He expects that the EC will try to hold DNCC mayoral elections in a free and fair manner and apply the electoral laws. We also hope that the EC would try to hold neutral election, he said.
Although the name of Tabith Awal, who contested the DNCC polls as the BNP’s mayoral candidate last time, is being discussed widely, there are two more aspirants for the post. They are BNP vice-chairman Barkat Ullah Bulu and assistant publication secretary Shakil Wahed, said party leaders.
It is widely believed that former BGMEA president, Atiqul Islam, is going to be the party’s mayoral candidate for the DNCC by-poll, but no announcement has been made.
Meanwhile, the EC yesterday announced that the by-polls to DNCC that fell vacant after death of former mayor Annisul Huq will be held on February 26.
Deadline for filing nomination has been set for January 18, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said while announcing the election schedule at his office in the afternoon. – Staff Reporter
