Senior leaders have taken various initiatives to resolve Chattogram city Awami League’s grassroots level dispute centring the candidature for upcoming Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) election. The dispute has developed over the incumbent CCC mayor and general secretary of Chattogram City Awami League A J M Nasir Uddin and 18 councillors not getting party nod for contesting the forthcoming CCC poll, sources said.
After failing to get party nomination, 18 incumbent councillors (general and reserved) have submitted nomination paper to the Election Commission to participate in the polls as independent candidates defying the party decision regarding candidature.
However, mayor AJM Nasir Uddin accepted the party decision and directed his followers to run publicity for the party nominated mayor candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury. Party insiders said that the councilor aspirants who failed to get party nod now getting united against the nominated candidates. In Chandgao, ward no-4, 10 local AL leaders have submitted their nomination paper to the EC so that the party-backed councilor candidate Saifuddin Khaled Saifu cannot win the poll.
In such circumstances, senior AL leaders led by presidium member Eng Mosharof Hossain, MP, has called all rival candidates at a meeting on 5 March. Nur Khan, private secretary of Eng Mosharof Hossain said that he (Mosharof Hossain) is trying to resolve the dispute in grassroots level as per the instructions of party chief Prime Minister Sheik Hasina. In this regard a meeting will be held on 5 March ahead of the withdrawal date of nomination, he added.
According to the poll schedule, the date of candidacy withdrawal is March 8, date of symbol distribution is March 9 and voting date is March 29. In an extended meeting of Chattogram City unite Awami League was held on Feb 25, in where the senior leaders has given a strong stance on the rebel candidates.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, the AL nominated mayoral candidate said, “We all should be united for Boat, the symbol of the party. All leaders, workers and supporters are working for the victory of the party’s Mayor and Councilor candidates. The party have a policy and senior leaders are working to convince the rival candidates,” He added.
Supporters of AL rival councilor candidates are having collisions in various occasions. A case has been filed against Saber Ahmed, the incumbent councilor of Sarai Para ward no 12 and his associates on allegation of attacking AL-backed councilor candidate Nurul Amin and his supporters on Friday at the city's Doublemurring police station. Saber Ahmed, who was elected a councilor in the last city corporation election with AL nomination did not get the party nod for the upcoming election.
AL insiders opined that the grassroots level dispute is a normal incident in a party. If the senior leaders take a strong stand, the dispute will be removed. It has already been announced that if anyone takes a stand against the party candidates should face tough actions.
