Awami League to finalise mayoral candidates Saturday

The ruling Awami League will finalise its candidates on Saturday for the mayoral race in the polls to the two city corporations of Dhaka.

The party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the names of the prospective mayoral candidates will be announced followed by a nomination board meeting at Ganobhaban, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

"Awami League will nominate candidates based on their popularity, acceptance and image," Quader told journalists on Friday at Dhanmondi party office.

Quader said, "We have decided not to nominate anyone who was criticised for controversial activities. We will choose those who are above controversy and have no record of misdeeds."

"Our board will have a meeting to pick candidates who are acceptable and popular. Our leader (Sheikh Hasina) also wants candidates with a clean image," added the general secretary.

Friday was the last day for the collection and submission of Awami League's nomination forms.

Quader said that nine people had collected Awami League's nomination forms till Thursday to run for the Dhaka North mayor's office.

Meanwhile, seven candidates collected the party's forms for the mayoral post of Dhaka South.        

Incumbent Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam, Shahidullah Osmani of Bangabandhu Foundation, Bhasantek Awami League leader Major (Retd) Mohammad Yead Ali Fakir, Kutubuddin Nannu, Prof Mohammad Jaman Bhuiyan, Helena Jahangir and Adam Tamiji Haque are among Awami League's nomination seekers for Dhaka North mayoral office.

Incumbent Dhaka South Mayor Sayeed Khokon, lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim, Advocate Najibullah Hiru, Mohammad Najmul Haque and Haji Abul Hasnat are among the party's nomination seekers for Dhaka South mayoral office.

Sayeed Khokon collected his nomination paper on Thursday for Dhaka south city. On Wednesday, Fazle Noor Taposh and Haji Mohammad Selim bought nomination papers for the same office.

On Wednesday, Dhaka North incumbent Mayor Atiqul also collected his form for Dhaka North.

Awami League also sold 473 forms to councillor candidates for Dhaka North and 336 forms for Dhaka South till Thursday.

The elections to Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation will be held on January 30.

The last date for submitting nomination papers is December 31, and the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is January 9. The Election Commission will scrutinise nomination papers on January 2.