Atiqul guns for Dhaka North mayor’s office after ‘getting AL green light’

Among the frontrunners for the Dhaka North mayor’s office left vacant by Annisul Huq’s death, businessman Atiqul Islam has reportedly got the go-ahead from the Awami League mandarins to run as the party pick.

Sumon Mahbubbdnews24.com
Published : 25 Dec 2017, 04:07 PM
Updated : 25 Dec 2017, 06:04 PM

One of the policymakers of the ruling party has told bdnews24.com that Atiqul got the all-clear at a meeting with the Awami League chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Ganabhaban residence last week. 

Atiqul’s followers have already filled Tejgaon and Farmgate areas with posters, billboards and festoons with his photos and their wish to see him as mayor.

“I don’t remember very well. But I met her sometime,” Atiqul told bdnews24.com on Monday about the meeting with Hasina.

He, however, expressed his eagerness to run for the mayor with the Awami League’s ‘boat’ symbol.

“Of course, I’ve started working. I’ve met some leaders, including some MPs. I will meet some more leaders in next few days,” he said about his plan to take part in the election.

Two and a half years ago in the first elections to the bifurcated Dhaka city corporations, the Awami League backed businessman Annisul in a surprise move.

Like Annisul, Atiqul is also an entrepreneur of the readymade garment sector. Annisul had headed the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association or BGMEA before helming the apex trade body FBCCI.

Atiqul was also the BGMEA president for the 2013-14 term. Now he heads the Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industries or CEBAI. 

The last elections to the Dhaka City Corporations were not held along party lines. The political parties could only support the candidates.

This time the elections will be held on party lines after changes in the law.

Annisul’s death, on Nov 30, means the Election Commission has to hold the mayoral by-polls within Feb 28 in line with the law. The EC already said it was working to conduct the elections by the time.

Atiqul spoke to bdnews24.com about his plans if he gets elected.

“My first priority will be to complete the unfinished work of Annis Bhai. My second job will be to ensure peace, safety of the people and freedom from traffic jam and other menaces. If I can finish Annis Bhai’s jobs, everything will be done as expected,” he said.   

Atiqul, a brother of former chief justice Md Tofazzal Islam and former BGB chief Moinul Islam, however, would not say anything about getting the Awami League’s confirmation.

“The party is yet to say anything. I can’t say anything before the prime minister makes the declaration,” he said.

A Presidium member of the Awami League, on condition of anonymity, told bdnews24.com: “He (Atiqul) got the message from the prime minister: to go ahead for the election.”

The nomination for the Dhaka North polls was also discussed in Saturday’s meeting of the Awami League Presidium at the Ganabhaban.

Another member of the Presidium told bdnews24.com: “We are yet to finalise the candidate. But you can understand; the indications are there.”

Asked who will be the party’s candidate in the Dhaka North mayoral by-election, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif told bdnews24.com they will announce the name after the polls schedule is declared.

Awami League Presidium Member Faruq Khan worked as the coordinator of Annisul’s campaign before the 2015 elections.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, he named business leader AK Azad, Kamal Ahmed Majumder MP, former MPs HBM Iqbal and Kabori Sarwar and Dhaka Metropolitan Awami League North General Secretary Sadek Khan as the other names discussed in the Ganabhaban meeting as aspirants.

Kabori, a former film actress, told bdnews24.com she would run for Dhaka North mayor’s post if the prime minister wanted.

Sadek said the activists ‘wanted to see him’ as mayor. “I will fight in the election if the leader (Hasina) wants,” he said.

Azad could not be reached for comments.

Faruq said they were conducting a survey to pick up the candidate.

They also discussed the legal complexities over the voting in Dhaka North after changes to  local government bodies like the inclusion of some union councils to Dhaka City, Faruq said.

“But the leader said it was not our headache. We will work to pick up a candidate,” he added.