BNP-backed candidate is the rival, AL-backed Khokon says

Awami League-backed candidate of Dhaka South City Corporation mayor’s post Sayeed Khokon has filed his nomination papers.

Moinul Hoque Chowdhuryand Kamal Talukderbdnews24.com
Published : 29 March 2015, 01:31 PM
Updated : 29 March 2015, 01:31 PM

Late Dhaka mayor Mohammad Hanif’s son Khokon filed the paper at the returning officer’s office in the Mahanagar Natya Mancha on Sunday.
 
The ruling party’s city unit President MA Aziz, MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, leader Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and former minister Abdur Razzaque were with him.
 
“I am hundred percent confident of winning the polls,” Khokon said after filing the form.
 

Asked who he was his closest rival, he said, “I came to know through media reports that BNP is taking part in the elections. So the BNP-backed candidate will be my rival.”
BNP is yet to announce whom it will back in the Apr 28 city polls in Dhaka. Its Chittagong unit has announced its support for former mayor M Manjur Alam.
The party’s Financial Affairs Secretary Abdus Salam and city unit Convener Mirza Abbas are among the BNP leaders who collected the nomination forms to fight for the mayor’s post of Dhaka South City Corporation.
According to election rules, a candidate has to leave his car outside the returning officer’s office and take not more than five people with him or her.
But Khokon took his car on to the office premises and over 50 people entered the office when he was submitting the paper.
“I took the car as I have a problem with my leg. And I took five people with me. The others were councillor aspirants of several wards,” Khokon explained.
Beside city unit Organising Secretary Khokon, Joint General Secretary and independent MP Haji Mohammad Salim, too, had collected the nomination form.
After a meeting with party chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, Awami League leaders said she had directed them to work for Khokon.
Salim left for India that night for medical issue without submitting the form.
Hasina introduced Khokon and businessman Annisul Huq as candidates to be backed for the mayors’ posts of the city corporations in Dhaka.
Annisul is fighting for the mayoral post of the Dhaka North City Corporation.
He, too, has submitted form.
Jatiya Party’s Bahauddin Ahmed Babul also filed the paper on Sunday. He is fighting in Dhaka North.
Party Chairman HM Ershad’s expelled adviser Boby Hajjaj has also submitted the papers for for the same post.