DHAKA, CHITTAGONG CITY POLLS

Candidates for mayors and ward councillors in the three civic polls embarked on formal electioneering to win the hearts of the people of Dhaka and Chittagong shortly after the Election Commission distributed polls symbols on Friday, a weekly holiday. Tabith Awal, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka North city corporation, got election symbol ‘bus’ in a lottery at the office of the returning officer after both he and his major rival, Awami League- supported Annisul Huq sought ‘table clock’ as  election symbol. Annisul, a frontrunner for Dhaka North mayor, won ‘table clock’ in the lottery. AL’s mayoral favourite for Dhaka South city corporation Sayeed Khokon was allocated ‘hilsa’ while his principal rival, BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas was given ‘mug’ as polls symbol. In Chittagong, BNP-blessed mayoral candidate Manjur Alam got ‘orange’ and AL-backed AJM Nasir Uddin received ‘elephant’. Elections to all the three city corporations are scheduled for April 28. Among other prominent contestants for Dhaka North city mayor, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh joint secretary general Mahi B Chowdhury got ‘eagle’ , Jatiya Party leader Bahauddin Ahmed won ‘charka’, Communist Party of Bangladesh-backed Abdullah Al Kafee received ‘elephant’, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-supported Nader Chowdhury got ‘peacock’ and Gana Sanghati Andolan chief coordinator Zunayed Abdur Rahim Saki was given ‘telescope’. Among other prominent contestants for Dhaka South city mayor, BNP international affairs secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon got ‘orange’, Jatiya Party-backed Saifuddin Milon secured ‘sofa’, former AL lawmaker Golam Mawla Roni got ‘ring’ and CPB’s Bazlur Rashid Feroze received ‘table’. After the distribution of symbols,

Tabith told newsmen at the returning officer’s office at Agargaon that the city dwellers considered him as their ‘desired representative’. ‘People want honest and energetic persons as their representatives and Adarsha Dhaka Andolan and the 20-party alliance have fielded such candidates in the city polls reflecting the expectations of the people,’ he added. Shortly after getting the symbol, Tabith Awal launched mass contacts at Karwan Bazar as part of his electioneering after the fate of his father, Abdul Awal Mintoo was sealed by the election appellate authority on Thursday. He later conducted mass contacts at Tejkunipara, Tejuribazar and Farmgate. Tabith was the first BNP-backed mayoral candidate to appear in public after the announcement of the polls schedule last month. Even most of the councillor candidates from the party were carrying out electioneering through their supporters. Afroza Abbas, wife of BNP-backed mayoral hopeful Mirza Abbas, was carrying out electioneering for Abbas who was still in hiding apparently to avoid arrest and harassment. Afroza alleged that the workers of her husband were facing harassment during electioneering. ‘Police shadow us wherever we go and deter our workers from carrying out electioneering,’ she added. She urged the authorities concerned to grant bails to the BNP leaders and activists, including her husband so that they could join the electioneering and also to make the polls free and fair. After getting his polls symbol, Sayeed Khokon said he was delighted as his father Muhammad Hanif was elected the mayor of undivided Dhaka in 1994 with the election symbol ‘hilsa’. ‘I hope I will win and dedicate myself to the causes of the city dwellers.’ He held roadside rallies and conducted mass contacts at Lalbagh. Annisul Huq exchanged views with youths at Khilket before embarking on mass contacts. After the withdrawal of candidatures, the number of candidates for Dhaka North city mayor now stands at 16, general councillor candidates at 277 against 36 posts and women councillor candidates at 88 against 12 posts. In Dhaka South city elections, the number of mayoral candidates stands at 20 while the number of general councillor candidates at 386 against 57 posts and women councillor candidates at 95 against 19 posts. The number of mayoral candidates remains at 12 while the number of general councillor candidates at 213 against 41 posts and women councillor candidates at 61 against 17 posts in Chittagong city polls.

- See more at: http://newagebd.net/110788/candidates-embark-on-electioneering/#sthash.Me9jbmKf.dpuf