Ivy gains strength in N’ganj, AL distances itself from Shamim

Mayor of Narayanganj Selina Hayat Ivy has gained enormous strength in the river port city’s politics.
In parallel developments, her arch rival, Awami League MP AKM Shamim Osman has lost political grip and support in the ruling party.
Ivy’s popularity in the city has grown steadily despite envious Shamim Osman targeting her ceaselessly to curb her influence.
Ivy’s dedication and simplicity are her assets that could in no way be matched by perennially controversy seeking Shamim Osman.
Barely two months back, Ivy was made the senior vice president of AL’s Narayanganj district chapter and local leaders close to her bagged most of the positions in the 75-member committee.
Shamim Osman himself was dropped from the district the committee, although he is the immediate past general secretary the district chapter of the ruling party.
Apparently, Shamim Osman became a such burden for the ruling party that even his ardent supporters find no ground to speak for him openly.
Supporters admit that Shamim Osman utterly failed to utilize the numerous opportunities he got from the ruling AL to rectify his ways.
He seems to have an uncanny knack for creating controversies for the wrong reasons feel disillusioned supporters.
Frustrated over Ivy’s steady rise, Shamim Osman and his close associates used the issue of eviction of hawkers from the sidewalks as the last straw to launch merciless attacks Ivy and her followers.
The televised attacks proved completely counterproductive for Shamim Osman and his waning political clout. 
Now AL leaders in the port city openly support Ivy shedding their fears and apprehensions.
Narayanganj City Corporation officials said that Shamim Osman and his group wrongly targeted mayor Selina Hayat Ivy after the police freed the sidewalks of the Bangabandhu Road from the vendors.
They said that the mayor had only supported the move to free the sidewalks for the undisturbed of by pedestrians.
Just before the hawkers rally in the port city held on January 15, local Jatiya Party MP Selim Osman, brother of Shamim, requested the city corporation to let the hawkers continue their business on the sidewalks until February.
In a prompt reply, NCC chief executive officer AFM Ehtashamul Haque informed Selim that the vendors could be permitted to continue their business on the extended section of Osmani Paura Stadium, Jamtala Eidgah and RAJUK car parking space form 5 PM to 9 PM until February 27.
Demonstrating his usual impatience, Shamim Osman asked the vendors to reopen their shops on all the sidewalks from January 16, when Ivy and at least 50 others were severely injured during attacks by Shamim’s activists in his presence.
On the next day, January 17, Narayanganj deputy commissioner Rabbi Mia allowed the vendors to resume their business on all the footpaths in the river port city except for the Bangabandhu Road’s sidewalks.
Approached by New Age, many vendors admitted Saturday that following eviction from the capital’s sidewalks in February 2017 at least 1,000 vendors shifted to the pavements of the river port city with Osman family’s backing.
They also told New Age that that they had to pay at least Tk 15,000 per head for opening each wayside makeshift shop.
Asked for his comments, Shamim told New Age that no vendor from the capital ever approached him before opening their wayside makeshift shops in Narayanganj.
He, however, said that his enmity with Ivy ended after river port city’s mayoral election that took place in 2016 as prime minister Sheikh Hasina asked him to work for both Ivy and AL.
‘Though I campaigned for Ivy, she never thanked me after her election victory,’ said Shamiom Osman, adding, ‘Now that she is sick, I wish her early recovery as she is my party leader.’ 
Only two days later, AL general secretary and roads, highway and bridges minister Obaidul Quader publicly announced that action would be taken against those who had tarnished AL’s image.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net