DHAKA, Dec 29, 2019 (BSS) – The ruling Awami League(AL) today confirmed the mayoral nominations of Barrister Sheikh Fazley Noor Taposh and incumbent Mayor Atiqul Islam respectively for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) polls scheduled for January 30.
AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader formally disclosed this in a press briefing at the political office of AL President Sheikh Hasina at Dhanmondi here.
Earlier on Saturday, the names of the two Mayoral candidates were finalized at the party’s local government nomination board meeting at Gana Bhaban with Party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The name of Incumbent DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon was excluded from the AL’s mayoral candidates list.
After the city corporation was split, an election was held in 2015 and Annisul Huq was elected as Dhaka North mayor while Sayeed Khokon for Dhaka South.
Atiqul Islam was elected following the death of Huq.
Prior to this, a total of 20 Mayoral aspirants where eight from DSCC and twelve from DNCC were collected Awami League nomination forms from the AL president’s political office at Dhanmondi in the city.
Besides, 75 councilor’s candidates names were announced for Dhaka South City Corporation and 54 for Dhaka North City Corporation in the briefing.
Expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Barrister Sheikh Fazley Noor Taposh said, “If I’m elected along with all under the Dhaka South City Corporation, I want to build a developed and modern city.”
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party has nominated Retired Brig Gen Kamrul Islam to run as a DNCC mayor candidate.
The BNP has nominated Ishraque Hossain and Tabith Awal to run for mayor in the elections to the bifurcated Dhaka city corporations.
Ishraque will gun for Dhaka South mayor’s post and Tabith for Dhaka North.
Ishraque’s father Sadeque Hossain Khoka, who died in November, was the last mayor of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation.
Tabith, a member of the party’s National Executive Committee, had fought for the DNCC mayor in 2015, but lost to the Awami League’s Annisul Huq. His father Abdul Awal Mintoo is a vice-chairman of the party.
After party nomination is confirmed, according to the Election Commission, the mayoral and councillor aspirants of both DSCC and DNCC will have to submit their nomination papers to the commission by December 31.
The nomination papers will be scrutinized on January 2, while the candidates will have until January 9 to withdraw from the race.
Voters will elect mayors and councilors on electronic voting machines (EVM) at all polling centres.