Incumbent Narayanganj Mayor Ivy willing to contest again but not against party decision

Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy says she is willing to go for re-election, but she will not go against the Awami League central committee's decision on the matter.

She was speaking to the media on Wednesday after the party's Narayanganj City unit submitted a shortlist of probable candidates to the central committee. Intriguingly, her name did not figure on the list.

"I will abide by the party decision, whatever it is. I will not take part in the election by going against the party decision. I have made up my mind," she said, adding “everyone understands why my name has not been included in the shortlist.”  

In 2011, she became the first female mayor of any city corporation in Bangladesh, by defeating heavyweight Awami League leader AKM Shamim Osman, who was unofficially supported by many of the local and central Awami League leaders.

After the Election Commission announced the schedule for the next election to the NCC (Narayanganj City Corporation) on Monday, fixing Dec 22 as the polling day, the Narayanganj unit of the ruling Awami League held an extended meeting and proposed the names of three individuals as their preferred candidates for the election.

Their first choice on the list is city unit chief, Anwar Hossain, who had backed Ivy at the last election. The two others on the list are Bandar unit President Abdur Rashid and Siddhirganj unit President Mojibor Rahman.

Anwar Hossain

Ivy pointed her finger at Narayanganj's influential Osman family for the decision reached at the extended meeting.

"Actually one faction (of the AL) has done this. We all know who they are. The people of Narayanganj know. The city Awami League made the decision after a hurriedly called meeting," she said, adding, "It was done following orders from an influential leader."

Ivy, a doctor by education and training, is now looking to what the central committee of the party decides.

"The Awami League has been divided (in Narayanganj) for a long time. In that case, they can send any name to the centre. They well know why they did not include my name. I have nothing to say about this," Ivy said.

"I will go by the party decision, whatever it is. I will not take part in the election going by against the party decision. I have decided…," she added.  

Shamim Osman

The NCC election will be held on a party basis for the first time this year. Ivy and Shamim fought the polls in 2011 on a non-partisan basis and without using party symbols.

With the amendments to the related law, political parties are now able to nominate candidates for the local government body elections. The nominees will contest in the election with party symbols, while all others will be independent candidates.

If Ivy gets the Awami League's nomination, she will fight with the party symbol, the boat. But if the party picks another candidate, she will have to fight as an independent candidate with a different symbol, which is to be allocated through lottery.

The then Narayanganj MP Sarah Begum Kabori and a faction of the local Awami League campaigned for Ivy in the 2011 polls. Several members of the Awami League secretarial panel joined Shamim's campaign.

After Ivy met Awami League chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following her victory, the party's then general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the party had backed 'no one' in Narayanganj polls.

The rivalry between Ivy and the Osman family in Narayanganj dates back to the times when her father, Ali Ahmed Chunka, was the leader of a faction opposed to the Osmans. Chunka also served as municipality chairman.

Selina Hayat Ivy

Ivy returned from abroad and led the party at a troubled time when the BNP came into power in 2001. Most members of the Osman family had fled the country and were thus 'absent' from Narayanganj at the time.

She has been representing and leading Narayanganj for 13 years - eight years as municipality chairman and five years as mayor.

Despite 'some' criticism of her, Ivy hoped the Awami League would nominate her for another term in recognition of her good work as mayor.

"I have been working here for 13 years for the people of Narayanganj. I fought the 2003 election during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government's tenure in a very hostile situation. That was a victory for the Awami League," she said.

"The people saw me taking part in the 2011 city corporation election. So I believe the party will nominate me, because I have a proven track record," she added.

She also said she had not done anything that could have tarnished the Awami League's image in Narayanganj or elsewhere.

The final day for submission of nomination papers for the election is Nov 24.

The BNP, after the boycott of the 2011 NCC polls, is yet to announce its decision on the upcoming election.