Chattogram mayor candidates promise green, clean, planned city

Major mayor candidates to the Chattogram City Corporation elections said that if elected they would work for making the city a clean, green, healthy and a planned one.

Seven mayoral candidates are contesting the elections scheduled to be held on March 29.

They are Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of ruling Awami League, Shahadat Hossain of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Solaiman Alam Seth of Jatiya Party, MA Matin of Bangladesh Islamic Front, Abul Manjur of People’s Party, Md Wahed Murad of Islamic Front Bangladesh, and Md Jannatul Islam of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury told New Age that Chattogram had lost many of its beautiful hills, Karnaphuli River, greeneries, parks and playground. ‘If elected, I will make Chattogram a planned city with coordinated efforts,’ he said.

He said that the incumbent mayor AJM Nasir had taken many initiatives and if elected he would try to coordinate all the ongoing development works consulting all the stakeholders. If anything happens, usually citizens blame the mayor for everything, he said.

‘I am 100 per cent confident that I will win the elections,’ he said.

Regarding the major opposition candidates, Rezaul said that they did not know how to praise the development activities being carried by the Awami League. 

BNP’s mayor candidate Shahadat Hossain told New Age that if he was elected he would present the city dwellers a clean, green, healthy and safe city which would the biggest tourist hub in Asia.

He said that the Election Commission should act neutrally otherwise voters would not go to the polling centres like the past elections.

He said that if Election Commission acted neutrally, he would win the polls.

For increasing turnout of voters, the Election Commission should defer the polling day to March 31 from March 29, he said. There will be a three-day holiday from March 26 to 28 and people will leave the city to enjoy the holiday and it will decrease voter turnout, he said.

He demanded deployment of troops at all polling booths and asked the Election Commission to ensure security of the polling agents.

Shahadat also demanded lowering the authority of presiding officers to cast votes to one per cent from five per cent.

Jatiya Party mayoral candidate Solaiman Alam Seth told New Age that he wanted fair and neutral election.

He lamented that in the last 20 years, rigging and ballot stuffing ruled the elections. ‘So, this time we need to inspire the voters to go to the polling centres and cast their votes.

Solaiman put emphasis on re-excavation of city canals regularly to get rid of waterlogging in the city. He also said if the military could continue and finish their ongoing activities in time, the mega project on waterlogging would bring relief to the city dwellers.

Solaiman also stressed on increasing the number of traffic police to manage the city traffic.

He was against deployment of troops during the election. ‘The Election Commission can act like the military and they institution should remember that they are for all,’ he said.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net