No nominations to controversial persons: Obaidul

Awami League General Secretary, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said his party will not give nomination to any controversial persons in the upcoming elections of Dhaka's two city corporations.

"Only dedicated and popular aspirants will get the nominations," Quader said while inaugurating the construction works of six-lane expressway under construction of PPP on Vogra-Joydevpur-Madanpur (Dhaka-Bypass) road today.

He also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already surveyed the popularity of the candidates with the help of various agencies and her own team.

The minister further assured that the government and the ruling party would not interfere in the elections.

The elections to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will be held on January 30 next year.

Incumbent DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam, and ruling party MPs Haji Mohammad Salim and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Wednesday collected Awami League nomination forms for contesting the elections.

Of them, Salim and Taposh bought nomination forms to participate in the election to DSCC while Atiqul in DNCC polls.

As per the schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination is December 31, while the date for scrutinising nomination papers is January 2 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 9.