After 10 long years, Bagerhat's Mongla port municipal election is about to be held in January. Marking the election mayoral and councillor candidates have become active to win party nomination.
According to the announcement of the Election Commission, nomination papers will be submitted on December 20 and polling will be held on January 18.
The last election of Mongla Port municipality was held on January 13 in 2011. Since then, no election was held in this municipality due to complexities over border of the municipality.
In the last election, BNP candidate Md. Zulfiqar Ali was elected as the mayor. Eight councillors and two reserved women councillors were also elected from BNP. Whereas, Awami League won only a reserved female councillor post and a rebel candidate won another councillor post.
However, this time Awami League is well on the ground to take over the Mongla Port Municipality, known as BNP's stronghold. Awami League candidates and supporters are running to local party leaders, MPs and central leaders to get nomination.
Besides, potential candidates and their supporters are crowding to collect nominations from the party office of Awami League from morning to afternoon.
Bagerhat BNP joint convener Md. Sheikh Faridul Islam said, Mongla is the stronghold of BNP. Nomination has already been given to current mayor along with the eight elected councillors of last election. Nominations for the remaining two post will be decided in the party forum within a day or two.
On the other hand, more than half a hundred potential councillors, reserved women councillors and four mayoral candidates have purchased Awami League nomination forms for 9 general wards and 3 reserved seats.
Local AL leaders have sent the names of four candidates for the post of mayor to the party's central committee. These four candidates are Idris Ali Ijaradar, former UZ Chairman, Sheikh Abdur Rahman, Municipal AL unit President, Sheikh Kamruzzaman Jasim, Municipal AL unit GS and Iqbal Hossain, current UZ Vice Chairman. They all are waiting for the decision of the central committee.
