AL aspirants in election mood

As the municipality polls in December would be partisan unlike the previous ones, aspirants seeking Awami League tickets are now busy with organisational activities instead of launching individual campaigns. 

Finding it more prestigious to contest the local government polls with the party's electoral symbol "boat", they are keen to make a positive impression on the central leaders in efforts to secure nominations.

The AL central working committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, would sit next month to finalise its policy on selecting candidates for the polls, according to sources.

Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina has already ordered forming a board comprising senior AL leaders to nominate candidates. She also warned potential rebels against running in the polls in violation of party decision.

On the other hand, the BNP will make the final decision about contesting the election after party chief Khaleda Zia returns from London next week, acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told The Daily Star on Monday.

Insiders, however, say the party's Nayapaltan central office has verbally instructed the grassroots leaders to prepare for the polls campaign.  

AL GRASSROOTS' MOOD 

SM Jaglul Hayder, lawmaker from Satkhira-4 and president of Shyamnagar upazila AL, said organisational activities in his district have increased.

"In the past, aspirants from our party would just start campaigning. This time they are concentrating on party activities to get nominations as the cabinet decided to hold a partisan local body election," he said.

At Monday's cabinet meeting, Sheikh Hasina said the party would nominate only one candidate against each post and all have to accept the decision.

But Matiur Rahman, acting president of Sunamganj district AL, sees difficulties in nominating candidates for the local body polls. "It will be very difficult to select a single candidate as many would want to contest the polls," he told this newspaper.

"When the party will nominate one, other aspirants will be demoralised and some of them will refrain from party activities."

Matiur said they were yet to get any guidelines from the central committee though aspirants already started communicating with them about nominations.

Mahabubul Alam Hanif, acting general secretary of the AL, said the next working committee meeting would decide the party's strategy about municipality election.

"Organisation becomes stronger through election and it is also an opportunity to go to people," he said, adding that party men would be more united through the upcoming polls.   

AL leaders say they are taking the upcoming municipality election more seriously as the ruling party lost to its archrival BNP in the last polls held in 2010-11. In that race, AL-backed candidates bagged 88 mayoral posts, while BNP blessed candidates won in 92 out of 236 municipalities.

JAMAAT'S PARTICIPATION

The BNP may lend its electoral symbol, "sheaf of paddy", to Jamaat-e-Islami for contesting the municipal polls if the Islamist party cannot join the race for legal reasons, according to sources in both the parties.

In August 2013, the High Court scrapped Jamaat's registration on the grounds that parts of the party's charter contradict the country's constitution.

The issue is now pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, and legal experts are divided as to whether Jamaat can run in the election before the apex court delivers its verdict.

Contacted, a senior BNP leader said, "All the candidates nominated by the BNP-led 20-party alliance may use BNP's electoral symbol."

He added, "We will contest the municipal polls together."

The leader wished anonymity as, he said, the matter was yet to be decided in party forum. Besides, the final nod will come from Khaleda Zia.

Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed Bangladesh's independence in 1971 and collaborated with the Pakistan occupation forces, tied knot with the BNP ahead of the 2001 parliamentary elections. Under the alliance, Jamaat contested two national polls with its electoral symbol, "scale". 

Contacted, Jamaat leader Mosiul Alam said the party would contest the local polls either on its own or with the BNP.

 According to Mosiul, also an SC lawyer, Jamaat can contest the polls despite the HC verdict because the issue is now pending with the SC.

But Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star that the Jamaat leader's explanation is not correct as the HC order is still valid.