Tough time awaits Nasir in CCC polls

Disgruntled supporters of ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury might negatively impact the electioneering of AZM Nasir Uddin, the Awami League-backed Chittagong mayor hopeful.

Former three-time mayor Mohiuddin yesterday said the AL men were disappointed with his departure from the polls race.

He was in a views-exchange meeting of Chittagong north and south district AL with reporters. Nasir was present at the meeting at the city's Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

Mohiuddin said the discontent would go away over time and the party men would work unitedly to ensure win for Nasir.

General secretary of city AL, Nasir collected his nomination paper yesterday for the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls slated for April 28.

Local BNP leaders, who have been waiting for the party's decision on contesting the election, said the polls would give the party an opportunity to revamp itself. Party grassroots are also confident that their favourites would come out successful.

Returning from Dhaka on Saturday, Mohiuddin announced that he quit the polls race and would work to ensure win of Nasir. But several hundred supporters of the ex-mayor gathered in front of his house in Sholoshahar for two days and demanded he contest the polls.

Followers of Mohiuddin blamed intra-party feud for his defeat in the last CCC polls in 2010 when he lost to BNP favourite M Manjur Alam by around 96,000 votes. Nasir was in the anti-Mohiuddin camp then.

Iftekher Saimul Chowdhury, a close associate of Mohiuddin and law affairs secretary of city AL, said the current political situation was not like what it was in 2010. “The present political situation is very critical. All the Awami League leaders and activists are united now to ensure win for party favourites.”

Wishing anonymity, a central Chhatra League leader from Chittagong said Nasir was yet to have a strong popular base in the port city.

Former mayor Mohiuddin would have won some swing voters in the polls. But it would be difficult for Nasir to win the election if the BNP backs a heavyweight mayor candidate, he added.

MANJUR FOR SECOND TERM!

Incumbent Mayor M Manjur Alam might again get BNP backing if the party decides to contest the polls, said BNP sources.

The party high command wanted to back Abdullah Al Noman, Ameer Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury or Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin for mayor of Chittagong. But none of them agreed to join the electoral race.

Manjur, also an adviser to the BNP chairperson, yesterday claimed that the three leaders supported him for mayor. “Although I am yet to have BNP's backing officially, I am confident that the party would support my candidature.”

Former minister and city BNP President Ameer Khasru said he had been to parliament and would not contest a local government election.

“The BNP chairperson will have the final say on joining the city polls and picking the party favourites,” he added.

Nine pro-BNP incumbent ward councillors collected nomination papers till yesterday. The last day for filing nomination papers is March 29.