Questions asked about Awami League councillor aspirant in Dhaka

The local Awami League leaders have questioned the party’s nomination of a ward councillor aspirant for Dhaka South City Corporation elections.

Mohammad Salehin bagged the ruling party’s backing for the race to the Ward No. 28 councillor’s post despite "falsely identifying himself as an Awami League leader”, according to Chawkbazar Awami League leaders.

Salehin's father Dwin Mohammad, a Muslim League activist, was also a “registered member” of the greater Lalbagh Peace Committee, which was formed to assist the Pakistani forces in 1971, a member of a martyr's family alleges.

Salehin denies the allegations and maintains that his father had died before the Liberation War began.

The Local Government Nomination Board of the Awami League announced its nominees on Dec 29 for the posts of mayor and ward councillor for the elections to the DSCC and Dhaka North City Corporation.

The mayor contenders will use the party’s symbol boat while the councillor candidates will campaign with other symbols and backing of the party without direct nomination as per the law.

In the nomination process, Salehin was introduced as a vice-president of the party’s local ward unit.

Salehin in reality holds no post in the unit as the fully fledged committee is yet to be formed, according to its General Secretary Md Yunus Sumon.

Sumon is contesting for the ward councillor’s post but as an independent candidate after he had failed to bag the party’s support.

Salehin won the party’s support by “bribing” some local leaders, Sumon said.

“Now he is saying that he is the proposed vice president. I can challenge that he is not even a member of the Awami League," Sumon said.

Chawkbazar Awami League President Md Sirajul Islam Rado brought similar allegations against Salehin.

"Everyone knows how he bagged the nomination. He was never seen in any meeting or procession. I'm the president of Chawkbazar Thana committee which consists of five wards. But he never came to me," Sirajul said.

Abdul Karim, a member of the family of a martyr from Dewan Lane No. 1 in Old Dhaka, pointed to the role played by Salehin's father in 1971.

"My brother was involved in politics as a Chhatra League member. On Apr 22 in 1971, the Pakistani Army killed my father. Salehin's father Dwin Mohammad was a registered member of the Greater Lalbagh Peace Committee at that time. Everyone in the neighbourhood knows it," he said.

Salehin's family distributed sweets in the neighbourhood when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most members of the family in 1975, said Abdul Karim, now 65.

"Everyone knows about his family and that he never had any involvement with the Awami League. He was a BNP activist. The locals are disgruntled over his nomination."

Salehin denied all the allegations. "My father was tortured by the Pakistani Army on Mar 20, 1971 while returning home from Sadarghat. People took him to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he died," he claimed.

"Independence was declared on Mar 26 while my father died on Mar 22. How could he work as a Peace Committee member? I was only two and a half years old then. Those who are complaining about my father’s role know it better."

He alleged the allegations brought against him were part of a conspiracy by those who failed to get the Awami League’s support in the election.

"I'm the proposed vice president. Shahe Alam Murad, the former Dhaka South Awami League general secretary, is our leader. You'll get my CV if you contact his office."

Murad, however, told bdnews24.com that he never proposed Salehin’s name for the vice-president’s post.

“The metropolitan committees do not propose any name but approves them. The Thana committee president and the general secretary have the authority to propose names," he said.