The Election Commission yesterday distributed symbols among the candidates of Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet city corporation elections slated for July 30. The candidates also started formal campaigning after they were given election symbols yesterday, the last day for the withdrawal of nomination papers.
In Rajshahi, a total of 217 candidates have remained in the race of the upcoming election to the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC).
Of them, five are mayoral candidates, 160 councillor candidates (general) and 52 are women councillor candidates (reserved seats).
Election officials published the list of the candidates after Jatiya Party-nominated mayor candidate Washiur Rahman Dolon and eight others for general councillor posts withdrew their nomination papers yesterday, the last day for withdrawing candidature.
Assistant Returning Officer Atiar Rahman said the nomination forms of 226 candidates, including six for mayoral posts, were declared valid.
The mayoral candidates are: AHM Khairuzzaman Liton (Awami League), Musaddique Hossain Bulbul (BNP), Habibur Rahman (Bangladesh Jatiya Party), Shafiqul Islam (Islami Andolan Bangladesh) and Advocate Murad Murshed (Independent).
Atiar Rahman said there are 3,18,138 voters, including 1,62,053 female voters, who will exercise their right of franchise at 138 centres to elect one mayor, 30 general councillors and 10 women councillors in reserved seats in the upcoming election.
Our Rajshahi correspondent adds: Awami League nominated mayoral candidate AHM Khairuzzaman Liton started the formal campaigning by holding a press conference at the Awami League Rajshahi city unit office. He also unveiled his 14-point election manifesto for the city's development.
Meanwhile, after completing prayers at the Hazrat Shah Mukhdum (R.) Mazar, BNP mayoral candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul officially started seeking votes for the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.
On behalf of AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Dablu Sarker, Secretary of Awami League Rajshahi city unit received the boat symbol at around 11:00am on Tuesday from the Election Commission.
After receiving the symbol, leaders and activists of the Awami League distributed leaflets and hung posters, festoons, and banners in different parts of the city.
Liton, however, also exchanged greetings
with the citizens of Rajshahi. He paid his respects at the grave of his father, Shahid AHM Kamaruzzaman, one of the national leaders.
Leader of the 20-party alliance, Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul received his symbol, the Sheaf of Paddy, and officially started campaigning.
On Tuesday, he visited the shrine of Hazrat Shah Mukhdum (R.). After receiving his symbol, he, along with activists and supporters of the party, held prayers.
Afterwards, he sought votes by distributing leaflets. Besides the BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Mizanur Rahman Minu, the 20-party alliance members and leaders were present at the time.
RCC Election Returning Officer Amirul Islam said that the candidates received their symbols on Tuesday morning.
Awami League-nominated candidate AHM Khairuzzaman Liton was given the Boat symbol, BNP nominated candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul received the Sheaf of Paddy symbol, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-nominated Habibur Rahman received the Jackfruit symbol, Islami Andolan Bangladesh-nominated candidate Shariful Islam received the Hand Fan symbol
and Independent candidate Murad Murshed received the Elephant symbol.
“We are working to provide women councillors and general councillors with symbols,” Islam said.
Our Staff Reporter adds from Barishal: Returning officer of the Barishal City Corporation election distributed 135 election symbols among the candidates including six for one mayoral post, 94 for 30 general ward commissioner posts and 35 for reserved female seats. Candidates and their representatives were present during the distribution of election symbols.
Symbols of six valid mayor candidates of the BCC were ‘Paddy Sheaf’ for Mojibor Rahman Sarwar, president of city BNP and 20-part-backed mayor candidate, ‘Boat’ for Serniabat Sadik Abdullah, joint secretary of city AL and 14-party alliance nominated candidate, and ‘Plough’ for Iqbal Hosen Tapos, the JP-nominated candidate, ‘Sickle’ for CBP candidate Abul
Kalam Azad, ‘Ladder’ for BSD candidate Dr. Monisha Chakrabarti and ‘Hand fan’ for Islami Shasontantra Andolan nominated mayor candidate. Four councillor candidates — three for general seats and one for a reserved seat — were, meanwhile, elected uncontested in Barishal city, where 19 candidates — 17 male and two female candidates – withdrew their candidature yesterday. Mujibur Rahman, returning officer of the BCC election, said AKM Mahbub Alam, a mayor candidate, seventeen general ward councillor candidates and two reserved female ward councillor candidates applied for the withdrawal of their submitted nomination papers.
Mayor candidate AKM Mahbub cited personal reasons for his withdrawal. After his withdrawal, the number of mayor candidates reached six, he added.
Besides, 17 general and two for reserved female ward councillors also withdrew their nomination papers.
So the number of general ward councillor candidates reached 94 for 30 wards and female reserved ward councillor candidates 35 for 10 reserved wards for females.
Among them, councillor candidate Liakat Hossain Labu of general ward-15, Mosharraf Ali Khan Badshsa of general ward-16, Gazi Naimul Hasan Litu of general ward-19 and reserved female councillor Ayesha Tawhida Luna of ward-4 (general ward 10, 11, 12) were elected uncontested.
The three male councillor candidates were nominated by the AL and the remaining one female was a BNP candidate.
According to the announced schedule of BCC election, the scrutiny of submitted nomination papers was done on July 1 and 2, the time for appeal against the EC decision was from July 3 to 5, and the verdict on the appeal was from July 6 to 8, withdrawal of nomination papers held on July 9.
UNB adds from Sylhet: The mayoral and councillor candidates in the Sylhet City Corporation election, scheduled for July 30, officially launched campaigns after being allocated symbols by the returning officer on Tuesday.
Election Commissioner Md Alimuzzaman officially distributed the electoral symbols among seven mayoral aspirants, 127 councillor candidates and 62 women aspirants at its office around 10am.
As usual, BNP-backed candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury was given the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’, while the Awami League nominated mayoral candidate Badar Uddin Kamran got the ‘Boat’ symbol.
Besides, Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, an Independent candidate got ‘Wall Clock’, while rebel BNP candidate Badruzzaman Selim got ‘Bus’, Islami Andolan Bangladesh-backed candidate Prof Dr Moazzem got ‘Hand Fan’, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)-backed candidate Abu Zafar got ‘Ladder’ and Independent candidate Ehsanul Haq Taher got the ‘Deer’ symbol.
After getting the electoral symbol, Badar Uddin Kamran offered prayers at Hazrat Shahjalal (R) shrine and started his campaign by distributing leaflets. Besides, Ariful Haque Chowdhury also offered prayer at the shrine and exchanged greetings with people.