The Chittagong city BNP yesterday extended its support for M Manjur Alam Manju for the mayor polls to Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, president of the city unit, made the announcement in the afternoon following a meeting at his residence in the port city.

"The Chittagong city BNP lends its support to Manjur,” he told journalists.

However, the central BNP was yet to take any decision regarding this, he said.

BNP Vice-Chairman Abdullah Al Noman, and Manjur, also an adviser to the BNP chief, were present at the meeting.

Noman will be heading the election steering committee, Khasru added.

On Wednesday, Chattagram Unnayan Andalan, a platform of pro-BNP professionals, announced Manjur, the incumbent city mayor, as its candidate for the April 28 elections.

However, a section of the city BNP and its associate bodies are disappointed with the decision, saying Manjur was detached from the ongoing anti-government movement and the party grassroots.

A senior leader of the city BNP told The Daily Star that the party is contesting the polls to use it as an opportunity to expose the "anti-government sentiments" among the general people.

"To make this happen, the party high command should have given support to a dedicated leader, instead of Manjur, for the mayoral race," he said, preferring anonymity.

Former joint secretary of the city BNP Abdus Sattar, who had collected nomination paper for the mayoral post on Tuesday, said: "If the party supports someone who is completely isolated from the grassroots, it will send a wrong message among the activists."

The followers of city BNP General Secretary Shahadat Hossain, who was absent from the meeting, have already declared that they would resist Manjur.

Meanwhile, the Awami League camp is finalising its campaign strategies, keeping the BNP moves in mind.

Ishak Miah, convener of the campaign committee of AL-blessed mayor aspirant AZM Nasir Uddin, said: "We are the pro-liberation force and they are anti-liberation ... People know everybody very well. They will never make a mistake."