Nine submit nominations for mayor of Chattagram city polls

Nine candidates for mayoral post, 220 candidates for councillor posts and 58 candidates for councilor posts reserved for women have submitted their nomination papers to contest the elections to Chittagong City Corporation slated for March 29.

Thursday was the last day to submit nomination papers. The commission will scrutinise the nomination papers on March 1.

Mayoral candidates of both ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party violated the election code of conduct while submitting their nomination forms at the Election Commission’s Chattogram region office.

After filing nomination paper, Awami League candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said that if elected, he would continue the ongoing projects taken by the incumbent mayor with the help of experts.

Chattogram city unit Awami League president Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury, general secretary and incumbent mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, vice-presidents Khorshed Alam Sujon and Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury, treasurer Abdus Salam, Chattogram North district unit president MA Salam, Chattogram South district unit general secretary Mofizur Rahman accompanied Rezaul while submitting nomination paper.

Chattogram city unit BNP president Shahadat Hossain while submitting his nomination paper called on the Election Commission to change the election date. He said that as March 26 was the Independence Day, and March 27 and 28 fell on Friday and Saturday, a huge number of people would go to village to enjoy three-day holiday and the voter turnout would be very poor.

Returning officer M Hasanuzzaman said that the Electoral Code of Conduct barred the incumbent mayor to attend any electoral campaign. ‘As we are yet to finalised the candidates, his activities are not contradictory with the code,’ he said. As per election schedule, the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is March 8 and election symbols would be allotted on March 9. (Source: New Age)