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Download PDF Awami League’s (AL) top leadership is still bogged down over its mayoral nomination for Rajshahi City Corporation polls although 14-party coalition led by the party announced on Thursday that its nominee there is Fazle Hossain Badsha, a politburo member of Workers Party, a component of the coalition.
Talking to The Daily Star a number of senior AL leaders yesterday said they want to maintain unity in the 14-party coalition but they do not understand why Badsha has been nominated instead of AL central leader AHM Khairuzzaman Liton who has the entire Rajshahi city AL rallying behind him.
Meanwhile in Barisal, although the coalition announced AL City Unit Convener Shawkat Hossain Hiron as the mayoral candidate there, Gono Forum leader Enayet Pir Khan also intends to run for mayor.
Sources said AL’s rank and file no longer considers Gono Forum as a component of the AL-led coalition. No leader of Gono Forum attended the 14-party meetings held on Wednesday and Thursday at AL Acting President Zillur Rahman’s Gulshan residence in the capital.
Sources said although Badsha has been nominated by 14-party, Liton has not been asked to withdraw his application for candidacy as AL central working committee (ALCWC) on July 1 nominated him for the mayoral run there.
Rajshahi Nagorik Committee also nominated Rajshahi City AL General Secretary Liton as the mayoral candidate after AL’s nomination for him.
Zillur Rahman on Thursday however said he will personally urge all candidates other than Badsha to withdraw their applications, so there is only one contender for ensuring victory.
Meanwhile, ALCWC met on Thursday but did not take any decision regarding the dilemma. Most of the party leaders at the meeting said the nomination should be given based on the recommendations of the grassroots level leaders in Rajshahi.
Earlier, 120 leaders of Rajshahi city unit AL and of its four thana units urged the central leadership to nominate Liton.
Under the circumstances, some of the party’s rank and file observed that the matter might be settled through discussions with both candidates. They think it was not right to impose a decision by giving nomination to Badsha while the grassroots level leaders want Liton.
They think if both of them run for mayor it will be tough for them to snatch victory while 14-party coalition will also face a problem of maintaining unity. Sources said if the AL top leadership does not interfere by today to withdraw Liton’s candidacy, then he will run for the post.
“The unity of 14-party coalition should be protected and the problem in Rajshahi should be solved through consultations with them [Liton and Badsha],” AL Organising Secretary Mahmudur Rahman Manna told The Daily Star.
Some other central leaders viewed that Badsha was nominated on the basis of a directive from party chief Sheikh Hasina, for maintaining the coalition’s unity.
Nagorik Committee of Rajshahi yesterday at a news conference urged 14-party coalition high-ups to reconsider their decision and demanded Liton’s nomination, reported our Rajshahi University correspondent.
AL’s coalition partners Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and National Awami Party also extended their support for Liton there.
Around 102 freedom fighters of Rajshahi also picked Liton as their choice saying he played an important role in the movement launched by 14-party during the immediate past regime of BNP-Jamaat-led 4-party alliance government.
Earlier, members of the civil society of Rajshahi formed a 251-member Citizens Committee to support Liton.
“We hope 14-party coalition will respect our request and fulfill the demand of the people of Rajshahi by nominating Liton as the mayoral candidate,” said committee convener Abul Hossain.
“We will continue supporting Liton as the mayoral candidate,” he said urging Badsha to step down.
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