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Download PDF Many grassroots level political leaders of major parties including incumbent ward commissioners, who were allegedly involved in criminal activities, are preparing to contest in the August 4 polls to four city corporations.
Many of them already collected application forms for candidacy, although all major political parties have yet to announce their acquiescence to the local government polls before the parliamentary one.
A total of 921 persons picked up application forms for candidacies in the polls to the city corporations of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet till yesterday, for the posts of mayors and councillors including the reserved seats for women.
Most of the incumbent ward commissioners of the city corporations who had been absconding since the state of emergency was promulgated on January 11 last year, are back in their areas with door-to-door electoral campaigns already, even before selections.
In Khulna at least 12 to 13 and in Barisal at least 10 incumbent commissioners, most of whom are involved in BNP politics and were absconding to avoid arrest on charges of involvement in criminal activities, are back in their wards campaigning unofficially for votes.
The scenarios are the same in Sylhet and Rajshahi.
Out of the 921 application forms 165 were distributed in Rajshahi, while 11 in Khulna, 516 in Barisal, and 129 in Sylhet were distributed.
BARISAL
Some of the 10 incumbent ward commissioners of Barisal City Corporation are accused in more than one criminal cases including for murder, extortion, and illegal possession of arms and government properties.
Application forms were disbursed against at least five of such incumbent ward commissioners there, reported our Barisal correspondent.
Sources said some of the commissioners, under whose names forms were picked up, had earlier surrendered to courts and after getting released on bail are now planning to contest in the city corporation poll, to which end they already started campaigning.
Commissioners who are already on campaign trails with their criminal records still effective are Ziauddin Sikder, commissioner of ward no 25 who was absconding for a long time, Firoj Ahmed, commissioner of ward no 24 who was arrested by the joint forces and is currently being tried in three cases against him.
After a year of hiding, KM Shahidullah, commissioner of ward no 12 had surrendered before Barisal Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court months ago, and was awarded bail. He still has four cases against him, but nonetheless campaigning for his candidacy in the city corporation poll.
Commissioner of ward no 22, Advocate Atiqur Rahaman Atiq, also an accused in the Tyara Shajahan murder case, was detained, but now after being freed on bail is on a campaign trail.
Another commissioner Syed Jamal Hossain Noman who had left Barisal after 1/11 recently returned to his area to campaign for his re-election. He has allegations against him of making a large sum of money through unfairly allotting many shops in the multipurpose city market.
Jainal Abedin, commissioner of ward no 10, Mosharaf Ali Khan Badshah, commissioner of ward no 16, Habibur Rahaman Tipu, commissioner of ward no 6, and Jakir Hossain Jalal were also absconded after 1/11, all of whom are back to their areas for contesting in the election.
Advocate KM Murtaza Abedin, commissioner of ward no 2, who has multiple criminal cases against him and was detained for nine months, is now back in his area being released on bail, and campaigning for re-election.
SYLHET
Many of the incumbent ward commissioners of Sylhet City Corporation were involved in criminal activities over the last five years, and were on the run until recently. But most of them are now back in the city for re-election.
Abdul Quaiyum Jalali Ponkhi, commissioner of ward no 10 also vice-president of city BNP collected an application form for the mayoral poll.
He was arrested on charges of corruption after 1/11 and after being in jail for about two months got bail from the High Court, and now he is unofficially campaigning for votes, even before being selected.
Farhad Chowdhury Shamim, commissioner of ward no 6 also a BNP leader who had arrested by the joint forces and was released on bail after months, is also now campaigning for re-election.
District Awami Juba League General Secretary Azadur Rahman Azad also commissioner of ward no 20 was in jail in connection with a graft case after 1/11. He is also now campaigning for re-election after getting bail.
Commissioner Ashique Ahmed of ward no 25 has been on bail in a case for looting an armoured car carrying bank money, but he is currently campaigning for re-election.
Commissioner of ward no 8 Jogodish Das, also district Juba League chief was in jail for months recently, and now he is also campaigning for re-election.
KHULNA
MA Sabur of Jinnahpara under Khulna Sadar collected an application form in favour of his close relative Mohammad Hossain Mukta, the incumbent commissioner of ward no 31 of Khulna City Corporation also a most wanted criminal.
Mukta, a BNP city committee member and a known notorious pirate of the Sundarbans has been absconding since launching of the Operation Clean Heart in 2002.
Meanwhile, Khulna BNP and its youth front Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, called upon the local people to resist city corporation and municipality polls prior to the national election.
They made the call from a token hunger strike observed from 7:00am to 1:00pm yesterday in the city BNP office as part of a three-day programme of Juba Dal central committee demanding release of detained BNP chief Khaleda Zia and sending of her two sons abroad for medical treatment.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I hope present govt take care of all ex ward commissioner!!