MUNICIPAL MAYORAL RACE : BNP on the lookout for 13 candidates [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

MUNICIPAL MAYORAL RACE : BNP on the lookout for 13 candidates

Local December 15, 2015

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party might choose mayoral candidates for 13 municipalities where nomination papers of it candidates were cancelled while the ruling Awami League had mayoral candidates for all the 234 municipalities.
BNP vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman told New Age on Monday that the party might extend support to its rebel candidates for some of the 13 municipalities, as local leader might have supports for them.
He also said that the party might also extend support to likeminded candidates in rest of the 14 municipalities against the AL candidates.
The Election Commission on Monday published the final list of candidates and allocated election symbols to 903 mayoral candidates – 234 of ruling Awami League, 220 of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, 73 of Jatiya Party and 271 independent candidates – for the elections to 234 municipal councils, slated for December 30.
The commission also allocated election symbols to candidates for councillors and councillor positions reserved for women, election commissioner M Shah Newaz told reporters.
The nomination papers of 13 BNP mayoral candidates were finally cancelled, while an AL candidate got his nomination paper, cancelled in the scrutiny, validated by the High Court.
In the scrutiny, the nomination papers of three AL mayoral candidates were cancelled and two of the nomination papers were declared valid by the appellate authority, while the High Court declared valid the candidature of the rest one.
Two BNP candidates’ nominations were also validated by the High Court Shah Nawaz said.
The commission on Monday ordered withdrawal of Kulaura police station officer-in-charge Matiar Rahman in Moulvibazar and Matlab north police station officer-in-charge M Kabir Ahmed in Chandpur for violating the electoral code of conduct, a commission official said.
He said that commission deputy secretary Samsul Alam sent the letters to the authorities concerned in this regard.
According to allegation, Matiar had campaigned in favour of AL mayoral candidate Shafi Ahmd Salman.
Three mayoral contestants — BNP’s Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Jatiya Party’s Muhibur Rahman and AL rebel Shafi Alam Yunus logged complaint against the police officer with the commission on Saturday.
Election commissioner Shah Newaz requested ministers, lawmakers and government servants not to violate the electoral code of conduct.
The commission unofficially declared six AL mayoral candidates – Alauddin for Feni municipality, Nizamuddin Ahmed Chowdhury for Parshuram municipality in Feni, Mohammad Ullah in Chatkhil municipality in Noakhali, Habibur Rahmanin for Pirojpur municipality, Ahmed Hossain Mirza for Tungipara municipality in Gopalganj and Mirza Golam Kibria for Madarganj municipality in Jamalpur – elected unopposed.
BNP nominated mayoral candidate for Chatkhil municipality Mustafa Kamal logged a complaint with the commission calming that he was forced to withdrawal his nomination paper as local Awami League leader lay siege to his home with fire arms.
‘I called the returning officer and other officials concerned, but they did not receive the phone,’ he said in the complaint.
BNP join secretary Mahbubuddin Khokon submitted the complaint to the chief election commissioner on Monday.
On Monday, mobile courts fined two mayoral candidates and a councillor candidate for violating the electoral code of conduct.
In Chandpur, a mobile court led by executive magistrate Saiful Islam Bhuyan fined BNP mayoral candidate for Faridgonj municipality Harun-ur Rashid Tk 5,000 for bringing out a motorbike procession.
Harun said that he took part in a mass contact with one or two motorcycle and it was not a procession.
In Narail, executive magistrate Jakir Hossain filed councillor candidate at Narail municipality Ehsanul Kabir Tk 8,000 for arranging a feast for voters and supporters.
In Habiganj, a mobile court fined BNP mayoral candidate Habibur Rahman Manik for Madhabpur municipality Tk 30,000.
New Age correspondent in Jessore reported that at least two campaigners of rebel AL mayoral candidate Kamruzzaman Chunnu were injured in an attack allegedly by Awami League mayoral candidate Jahirul Islam Chaklader Rentu at Chuadanga bus stop of Puratan Kashba while they were pasting posters.
Kamruzzaman said that attackers also set 1,500 posters on fire.
In Lakshmipur, AL activists attacked a mass contract of Jatiya Party mayoral candidate Azad Uddin Chowdhury at Ramgati municipality where two activists were injured.