Atiqul meets Hasina, hopes to get AL ticket for Dhaka North mayor race

Mayoral aspirant and readymade garment entrepreneur Atiqul Islam is confident he will get the Awami League’s ticket to run for the Dhaka North mayor’s office.

His optimism stems from his meeting with party chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ganabhaban on Saturday.

After the afternoon audience, he told bdnews24.com he went to inform Hasina about his campaign.

“The leader has asked me to continue my work. But no discussion on the nomination took place,” he said.

“I only informed her that I am aspiring for the party’s nomination,” he added.  

Annisul Huq, whose death on Nov 30 left the mayor’s post vacant, was also an apparel sector entrepreneur.

He had headed the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and also the apex trade body, FBCCI.

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

The Election Commission has to hold the Dhaka North mayoral by-polls within Feb 28 next year.

The followers of the aspirants have already covered areas under the Dhaka North City Corporation with posters, banners and festoons expressing the wish to see them as mayor.

Among the hopefuls, Atiqul has reportedly received the Awami League’s green light.

But Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said last week that they would make the announcement on Dhaka North candidacy only after the polls schedule was out.

He said Hasina might have asked an aspirant to start working to check how much people expect of him or her, how the aspirant can adapt to the polls environment if nominated.