Municipal Elections
Hectic campaign grips all 10 Ctg division districts
Colourful posters hung by contestants give a spectacular sight as campaign for January 17 elections in Singair municipality under Manikganj district gains momentum.Photo: STAR
Election fever grips all the 43 municipalities under 10 districts of Chittagong division as the candidates contesting in the poll scheduled for January 18 started round-the-clock campaign following allocation of symbols on January 3. The ten districts are Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chittagong, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban. Election in a municipality in Chandpur district, another one in Feni and all the municipalities in Cox's Bazar district will be held on January 27. As many as 223 candidates will vie for mayoral posts, 1821 for general councillor posts and 438 others for reserved seats of female councillors. Following start of the electioneering, mobile court teams are in the field to check any violation of electoral code of conduct, said Deputy Election Commissioner of Chittagong Ezharul Hoque. In nine municipalities under Chittagong district, 44 candidates will vie for mayoral posts, 352 for 81 general councillor posts and 85 for 27 reserved seats of female councillors. In most of the nine municipalities, both the ruling Awami League (AL) and opposition BNP have failed to present single mayoral candidates. In Raozan, Mirsarai, Baroiarhat, Patiya, Sandwip and Banshkhali, several pro-Awami League (AL) candidates are contesting. In Sandwip, Mirsarai and Baroiarhat municipalities, more than one pro-BNP candidates are vying. Jamaat-e-Islami backed mayoral candidates are contesting in Mirsarai and Baroiarhat. In Raozan municipality, the lone candidate from BNP Abdullah Al Hasan, also the president of Raozan municipality unit of BNP, is enjoying a good position as five pro-AL mayoral candidates are contesting there. AL Raozan upazila unit President and incumbent Mayor Shafiqul Islam Chowdhury and AL North district unit Environment Affairs Secretary and former mayor Debashis Palit are two potential candidates from the party, said party sources. Joint convener of Raozan municipality unit of AL Anwarul Islam and AL leaders Abu Baker Siddique and Mohammad Musa are also in the race. In Patiya, BNP fixed Nurul Islam as its lone mayoral candidate while AL has two rival candidates including AL Patiya municipality unit Vice President Professor Harunur Rashid and central Jubo League leader Badiul Alam. There are two other mayoral candidates including former mayor and Jatiya Party leader Shamsul Alam Master and Liberal Democratic Party leader Mohammad Ali in Patiya. Of nine mayoral candidates in Mirsarai, three are from AL, four from BNP, one from Jamaat and the rest are independent candidates. In Baroiarhat, AL fixed SM Abu Tayab as mayoral candidate but two more rivals from the party are contesting. BNP also is facing the same problem here with party-backed Moinuddin Liton and rival Jalal Uddin. Jamaat-backed Fazlul Karim is contesting here. In Banshkhali municipality, two rival candidates from the AL are contesting, making a better scope for the lone BNP candidate and incumbent Mayor Kamrul Islam Hossaini. Although AL nominated Sheikh Fakhruddin Chowdhury as mayoral candidate his rival Mohammad Akhter Hossain is contesting as independent candidate. Two persons from AL and two others from BNP are contesting for the mayoral post in Sandwip. Both the AL and BNP could fix single mayoral candidates in Rangunia, Chandanaish and Satkania municipalities. In Rangunia, Khalilur Rahman of AL, Emdadul Islam of BNP and independent candidate Bijoy Keton Barua are contesting. Contestants in Chandanaish municipality are Shiekh Tipu Chowdhury of AL, Nurul Anwar of BNP, Mohammad Ayub of LDP and Alamgir Islam Boidi of Islamic Front. In Satkania, BNP backed lone candidate and former mayor Mohammadur Rahman is in quite uncomfortable condition to fight AL-backed lone candidate Mohammad Zobaer as Jamaat-backed Jafar Sadek is contesting there. Rafik Ahmad is in the race as independent candidate.
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