Chittagong, May 27 (bdnews24.com) – Chittagong city mayoral candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury believes that the city Awami League will cooperate with him in his bid for an unprecedented fourth term in office.
"We will move ahead together with a greater programme in the mayoral election," Mohiuddin told reporters at the Nagorik Committee office on Thursday.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina earlier in the day held a meeting with the Chittagong AL leaders ahead of the June 17 elections. She asked the Chittagong leaders to bury their disputes and work for Mohiuddin.
Leaders who stood against Mohiuddin's nomination were also present in the meeting, including city AL organising secretary Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, who also filed nomination papers.
Following the meeting, central joint general secretary Mahbubul Haque Hanif said Rezaul would also work for Mohiuddin.
Central AL leaders have already endorsed Mohiuddin.
Replying to a query, the Nagorik Committee candidate said, "I want to work with all in the mayoral election.
"Someone might get detached, but my duty is to work united with all," the city AL president added.
City AL general secretary Kazi Enamul Haque Danu, city (north) general secretary M A Salam, joint secretary Gias Uddin and city AL organising secretary were also present at the conference.
In the beginning, Danu briefed the committee on Thursday's meeting with the party chief.
He said, "The other mayoral candidates, who have collected nomination papers against Mohiuddin Chowdhury, vowed to withdraw their candidature."
Danu is the secretary general of the election management committee.
Mohiuddin, coming out of the Dhaka meet, told reporters: "We will work under a single platform from [Thursday] following [Hasina's] direction."
Mohammad Ishaq, president of the polls management committee, said there should not be any more bickering among the local leaders after the meeting.
When asked about the absence of two Chittagong MPs in the morning meeting, Mohiuddin said in Chittaging, "No discussion took place relating to anyone's absence. The leader (Hasina) might ask them to work for the polls when they will return home."
Among the four Chittagong MPs, city AL vice president and Chittagong-8 MP Nurul Islam BSC and MP from Chittagong-10 M A Latif are currently abroad.
The conflict between Mohiuddin and Nurul Islam had peaked ahead of the elections. Islam's followers had declared three candidates, all of whom who had collected nomination papers but only Rezaul had submitted them.
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