Liton AL’s candidate in RCC election, BNP silent

Published : Wednesday, 30 May, 2018 at 10:46 PM Count : 1227

Liton AL’s candidate in RCC election, BNP silent

On the backdrop of BNP’s silence, Ruling Awami League set its district unit president and former Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton as the candidate of upcoming Rajshahi City Corporation elections to be held on July 30.

The incumbent mayor and city BNP president Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul wants to continue in the position. Though the party is yet to decide who will be the candidate, but in Rajshahi, no name was heard other than Bulbul among BNP supporters.

Bulbul supporters are not very worried about the candidacy. But BNP-led coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami, and former mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu are opposing Bulbul. Jamaat, which lost the registration of the Election Commission, has already announced candidacy. Jamaat's Metropolitan Secretary Siddique Hossain will fight as an independent candidate. There is a significant number of Jamaat votes in Rajshahi.

Police arrested Siddiqe along with party's acting chief Amir Mujibur Rahman on March 12. But the leaders of the party do not consider it as a problem. To them, there is a history of contesting in polls from prison. And it is possible to get sympathy.

Metropolitan BNP general secretary Shafiqul Haque Milon said, "Jamaat has already declared the candidate. But our candidate has not been announced yet. We want Jamaat is not a separate force in this election. Because, they are part of our movement and struggle. City corporation elections are also part of the movement. We want to win this movement.”

The City BNP joint general secretary Mamunur Rashid said, "There is no formal announcement from the central committee about who will be the candidate in the city election, but the party's chairperson Khaleda Zia, before going to prison, gave a green light for current mayor Bulbul. Accordingly we hold Bulbul as the candidate. There is no alternative to bulbul as BNP mayoral candidate.”

Mayor Bulbul said, "No final decision has been made regarding the candidate from the center. The executive committee of the party will meet in a meeting. The meeting will decide who will be the candidate. I'm waiting for that decision.”

On condition of anonymity, some leaders of the Metropolitan BNP said that Bulbul's rivalry with Minu was not resolved yet. As a result, followers of Minu could not accept Bulbul as a candidate. They want to choose Minu or any of his followers as candidate.

According to the city Awami League sources, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced Khairuzzaman Liton as party candidate in Rajshahi City Corporation election a few months back. After that, the city Awami League started preparing for the election.

Meanwhile, after the announcement of the election date, on Tuesday evening, Rajshahi Metropolitan Jatiya Party has announced the name of Washiur Rahman Dolon as Mayor candidate. He is the joint secretary of the National Committee on National Youth Convention and the President of JP Rajshahi City unit.

In the executive committee meeting of Rajshahi Metropolitan Jatiya Party's office, Washiur Rahman Dolon was declared Mayor candidate unanimously.

AIMD