Aspirants submit nominations AL, BNP-backed candidates among 60 in race for 3 mayors .

Aspiring candidates from the rival political camps have submitted nomination papers in the three city corporation polls in Dhaka and Chittagong scheduled for April 28 although it was still uncertain whether candidates from the opposition camp would be in the race finally. Aspirants belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led opposition threatened that they might withdraw from the race if the Election Commission failed to ensure a level-playing field for all candidates. Although elections to all local government bodies is a non-partisan affair, the long overdue elections to the divided city corporations in Dhaka and to the Chittagong City Corporation is seen as an acid test for the rival political camps amidst the ongoing political crisis. A total of 60 mayoral aspirants, 1,414 general councillor aspirants and 359 woman councillor aspirants submitted nomination papers in three city corporations on Sunday, the cut-off date for doing so, according to Election Commission statistics. Of them, 21 are mayoral aspirants for Dhaka North, 494 for councillors in 36 wards and 135 for 12 reserved councillor posts  for women in the Dhaka North city, 26 mayoral aspirants for Dhaka South, 632 for councillors in 57 wards and 153 for 19 reserved councillor posts for woman in Dhaka South.

There are 13 mayoral aspirants for Chittagong city, 288 for general councillors in 41 wards, and 71 for 14 women councillor posts in Chittagong. A festive mood gripped the surroundings of the offices of returning officers with many aspiring candidates taking over five of their supporters to the office with them in breach of electoral code of conduct. Some of them went to submit nomination papers with their supporters on motorbikes accompanying them. The on-duty executive magistrate at the returning officer’s office for Dhaka North city fined a mayoral aspirant Tk 20,000 for going to submit the nomination papers on a horse cart and seized the cart. Ruling alliance supported Annisul Huq, Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo, his son Tabith Awal, Gana Sanghati Andolan chief coordinator Zunayed Abdur Rahim Saki, Awami League leader Sarah Begum Kabari, HM Ershad’s former adviser Bobby Hajjaj and Mahi Badruddoza Chowdhury, among others, submitted nomination papers for mayoral race in Dhaka North. Though the detained Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna had collected nomination papers for the mayoral race in Dhaka North, he did not submit the papers finally. Annisul, flanked by Awami League leaders Faruk Khan and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, BGMEA president Atiqul Islam, former FBCCI president AK Azad and former food minister Abdur Razzaque, submitted his nomination papers in the afternoon. Annisul said, ‘It feels good that there is an opportunity [for me] to take up a new responsibility.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has taken the decision to give the responsibility to a businessman.’ Asked why he had held a meeting with AL leaders, including a senior minister at a community centre on Saturday in breach of electoral code, he replied, ‘I did not seek vote from the people rather held a meeting with Awami League activists.’ On behalf of the BNP-backed mayoral candidate Abdul Awal Mintoo for Dhaka North mayor, his two sons Tafsir M Awal and Tajwar M Awal submitted the nomination papers. Tafsir told newsmen that they were concerned over a level-playing field. ‘The EC has to ensure that everyone gets an equal opportunity.’ Asked what they would do if the EC failed to ensure a level-playing field, Tafsir said, ‘We will have to think whether we should stay in the race in that case.’ Zunayed Saki alleged that the EC could not ensure a level-playing field for all candidates as yet. ‘Many aspiring candidates are violating electoral code but the EC is not playing the desired role to stop the violation.’ AL-supported Sayeed Khokon, BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas, BNP international affairs secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon, BNP’s city leader Abdus Salam, BNP leader Nasiruddin Pintu,

HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party presidium member Haji Saifuddin Milon, Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Bazlur Rashid Firoz and former AL lawmaker Golam Mawla Roni, among others, submitted nomination papers for the mayoral race in Dhaka South. Though AL’s Haji Selim had collected nomination papers for mayoral race in Dhaka South, he finally did not submit the papers. Asked why he went to submit nomination papers along with a huge motorcycle procession, Sayeed Khokon denied the allegation and said, ‘I came to submit the nomination papers taking only five supporters with me.’ After submitting the nomination, Asaduzzaman Ripon said the government should now allow the BNP to resume activities in the party’s Naya Paltan central office to show that the government as well as the EC was willing to ensure a level-playing field in the election. A brother of Mirza Abbas, the wife of Abdus Salam and the wife of Nasiruddin Pintu, a BNP leader who has been convicted in a case filed after the BDR mutiny in 2009, submitted nomination papers for them.

AL-blessed AJM Nasir Uddin and BNP-supported M Manjur Alam Manju submitted their nomination papers for mayoral race in the port city of Chittagong, New Age correspondent in Chittagong reported. Manjur asked the EC to take effective measures so that his activists could carry out electioneering without fear. The returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers on April 1 and 2. Candidates will be able to withdraw candidature until April 9 and the EC will allocate symbols on April 10 while the candidates will be able to launch electioneering on April 7.

- See more at: http://newagebd.net/107267/aspirants-submit-nominations/#sthash.PsP9HOZv.dpuf