It’s me who’s not getting a level playing field, says AL-backed mayor aspirant Sayeed Khokon

It was the BNP, which alleged of not getting a level playing field for candidates, it endorsed for the Apr 28 city polls.

But now Awami League-backed mayor aspirant Sayeed Khokon says he is denied that.

The Dhaka South aspirant Sayeed Khokon says her leader Sheikh Hasina can’t campaign for him being the prime minister, but BNP chief Khaleda Zia is campaigning for candidates backed by her party.

“In that sense, it is me who’s not getting a level playing field,” Khokon said while speaking to bdnews24.com.

The BNP, which relaxed it anti-government agitations in the wake of the city polls, had been alleging of not getting a level playing field from the very beginning.

They fear that the polls for City Corporations in Dhaka and Chittagong will be less than credible.

Khokon’s prime contender senior BNP leader Mirza Abbas is yet to campaign as he has failed to secure bail in several cases against him.

His wife Afroza Abbas is campaigning on his behalf and complains of a lack of level playing field.

Khokon, however, sees the electoral process as an appropriate one. “The election commission is doing a great job. No major issues has cropped up during  such a big election, that’s laudable.”

In an interview with bdnews24.com at old Dhaka’s Nazirbazar, Khokon spoke about his father former Dhaka Mayor Mohammad Hanif and his early days of being a rookie in politics.

Hanif had defeated Mirza Abbas in the Dhaka city polls of 1993 and after almost 22 years later, his son is facing the same contender.

“My prime contender has been a minister and mayor, but could not do any development and the people of Dhaka know it,” said Khokon, who entered politics in 1987 as a Ward Awami League unit’s legal affairs secretary.

He is now the organising secretary of the ruling party’s metropolitan chapter.

“It happened slowly, even father hadn’t noticed it. I became a member of the metropolitan unit in 1999 and in 2004 became the organising secretary.”

Asked of his public role before running for mayor, Khokon said he had successfully led a movement in 2005 against a hike of holding taxes, when BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka was the mayor.

Khokon says if elected, his key priority will be the traffic problem in the capital.

His other priorities are ensuring playgrounds, stopping footpath encroachment by street vendors and waste management.

“It’s easy to solve these issues. The only thing needed is some initiative.

“Everything is possible if the people are included in the process, but my major challenge will be traffic congestion,” said the mayor hopeful for Dhaka South City Corporation.

Speaking on the present state of the City Corporation, Khokon said it was “marred by problems” and needs to be fixed.

“I am young and energetic; I can do it. I will fulfil the people’s desire if they elected me.”