Narayanganj Mayor Ivy wants 'everyone' in Awami League at her side for re-election

After winning the Awami League's nomination to seek re-election, Narayanganj Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy has said she wants 'everyone' at her side.

AL picks Ivy for N'ganj mayor polls

Returning to her city from Dhaka after the party's announcement on Friday, she said, "I will work for the election with everyone by forgetting differences."

Ivy became mayor by defeating another leader of the party AKM Shamim Osman in the first polls to Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) five years ago.

Their feud came out in the open to make headlines several times later. They also traded ugly comments at a heated TV talk-show.

Shamim, who now represents Narayanganj-4 seat in Parliament, had introduced the party's Narayanganj City unit President Anwar Hossain as the Awami League mayor hopeful.

After the Election Commission announced the schedule for the polls, the city unit of the Awami League held an extended meeting and proposed the names of Anwar, who had backed Ivy at the last election, and two others for the next election.

But the party's local government nomination board picked Ivy, a vice-president of Narayanganj district Awami League, as the candidate in a meeting chaired by its chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ganabhaban on Friday.

Thanking Hasina for the party's decision, Ivy said this was a reflection of the expectations of Narayanganj people.

She hoped to move ahead by overcoming the infighting in the party.

The BNP is yet to nominate anyone for the NCC polls, which are going to be held for the first time on party lines.

The local leaders met its Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Friday evening.

Whoever she gets to fight in the polls, Ivy, the first female mayor in Bangladesh, hopes a win will extend her 13-yer run as a public representative in Narayanganj City - eight years as municipality chairman and five years as mayor.

"I hope the people of Narayanganj will vote the 'boat' symbol to victory in the upcoming city corporation polls," she said.

The party's Narayanganj district unit President Abdul Hye congratulated Ivy.

"Whoever gets the 'boat' symbol is our candidate. I believe the leaders and activists of our party and its affiliates will work for the party," he said. 

He also said it was 'natural' to have several hopefuls for nomination in a large party like the Awami League.

"But the feud in the party won't impact the polls," he added.

Narayanganj City Awami League Vice-President Chandan Sheel, a follower of Anwar, also said 'they' will follow the nomination board's decision.

The rivalry between Ivy and the Osman family in Narayanganj dates back to the times when her father, Ali Ahmed Chunka, led a faction opposed to the Osmans. Chunka had also served as the then municipality chairman.