Nasir or a new face?

The tenure of the incumbent council of Chattogram City Corporation will expire on August 5 and the government is going to employ an administrator to run the CCC during the interim period until an election is held to elect a new body.

Meanwhile, this administrative appointment is creating a lot of buzz in the port city as many are curious to know who will be the administrator -- incumbent mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, whose tenure also expires with the present council, or someone new?

Awami League insiders said the probability of employing the incumbent mayor as an administrator is very slim.

Nasir is not in the good books of the party high command, which also reflected in the mayoral candidate nomination in the postponed polls of CCC, AL leaders in Chattogram said, wishing anonymity.

On February 15, the ruling AL nominated Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, joint general secretary of the party's Chattogram city unit, instead of the incumbent mayor. The CCC polls was scheduled to be held on March 29.

Meanwhile, supporters of Nasir expected that he might be kept as an administrator during the interim period due to the ongoing pandemic situation and since he has experience in running the CCC.

"We have formally informed the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives that in the present situation, it will not be possible to hold the polls before the tenure of present council expires," said Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, regional director (Chattogram) of the Election Commission

"Now the ministry will decide whether a new administrator will be employed or the incumbent mayor will discharge duties until the election is held," he added.

Contacted, local government expert Dr Tofail Ahmed said there is no clear instruction in regard to what will happen if the polls cannot be held in the tenure of an incumbent council of a city corporation.

"The government may do two things -- it may instruct the incumbent council to continue through an administrative order or it may employ an administrator to run the corporation until declaration of polls schedule," he said. "It is more of a political decision than an administrative one," he said.

"In my opinion, a new administrator will not be able to add any value at this moment. S/he may face challenges to run the corporation at the present pandemic situation. It would be better if the government instructs the present body to continue until declaration of polls," said Dr Tofail.

"In that case, the council should not be allowed to make any policy, and should just focus on routine works," he added.

Awami League presidium member Eng Mosharraf Hossain, however, differed with Dr Tofail's opinion.

The former minister and incumbent lawmaker from Chattogram-1 (Mirsarai) constituency said as far as he knew, there was no scope for the present council to continue after expiry of tenure as per law.

Mosharraf said the government may employ any citizen as an administrator of CCC during the interim period. The administrator can be a government official or a political person or a common citizen -- it solely depends on the government, he said.

Asked whether any discussion was held in the party forum regarding it, Mosharraf replied in the negative.

Echoing the same, Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Tajul Islam told The Daily Star that as per law there is no scope for the present council to continue after its tenure expires.

"So we are going to employ an administrator in CCC until the election is held," he said.

Asked whether the incumbent mayor would be employed as an administrator or they are going to choose a new face, he said, "It is an internal matter. You will know when we make a decision about it."

Despite repeated attempts, this correspondent could not get in touch with the CCC mayor for comments.