Chittagong City Mayor Manjur Alam will be backed by the BNP to seek re-election if the party decides to join the Apr 28 elections to three city corporations.
Published : 24 Mar 2015, 12:33 AM
The leaders dropped a broad hint on Monday that they will keep faith in Alam to take on Awami League-backed contender AJM Nasir Uddin.
Manjur told bdnews24.com, “If the party decides to take part in the election and supports me, then I will contest.”
His son, Sorowar Alam, said, “We are waiting for the party’s decision from the centre.”
Currently enforcing an anti-government movement with its smaller partners, the BNP has not clarified its stance on the elections to the Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations.
It had termed the general election on Jan 5, 2014 a ‘farce’ and boycotted it expressing its lack of faith in the fairness of the electoral machinery.
On the first anniversary of the polls, the BNP called for an indefinite blockade to force the ‘illegal’ government into calling a snap balloting under a ‘non-partisan’ government.
Local activists have already voiced their inclination to contend for councillor posts in the polls to be held under the same Election Commission. However, no one is willing to talk about the mayor race until the party makes the call.
Known to be Chowdhury’s political disciple, Manjur became an adviser to the BNP chairperson on his election to the office.
Although BNP activists are upset with Manjur as he seldom took interest in party activities, none of the others, whose names have come up, are interested to run the election either.
“Once the party takes a positive decision, we will officially name Manjur Alam as our mayor contender,” a BNP central leader from Chittagong told bdnews24.com requesting not to be named.
Names of BNP Vice President Abdullah Al Noman and city chief Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury had been discussed for the mayoral race.
But neither of them were interested, party leaders said.