File photo.

The BNP last night endorsed mayoral aspirant Tabith Awal in Dhaka North City Corporation polls, as the Supreme Court upheld the High Court order rejecting his father Abdul Awal Mintoo's writ petition against the cancellation of nomination.

Yesterday's SC order apparently left BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia with no option but to pick Tabith, eldest son of her adviser Mintoo, to fight against Awami League-backed heavyweight Annisul Huq in the mayoral race, said party insiders.

A BNP leader close to the party chief told The Daily Star, "The BNP chairperson thinks Tabith will get people's sympathy, as his father's nomination was rejected for minor procedural flaws. She also thinks Tabith is young, energetic and dynamic which will help him woo young voters."

Over the last few days, a section of BNP leaders was trying to convince Khaleda to back Mahi B Chowdhury, son of ex-president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, in the DNCC mayoral race, considering his political background.

But the Jamaat-e-Islami and several other components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance strongly opposed backing Mahi, as his party, Bikolpodhara Bangladesh, is not a part of the opposition combine, said the BNP leader, seeking anonymity.

On April 7, Mintoo filed the appeal with the SC, challenging the HC order that summarily dismissed his writ petition on April 6.

Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Zillar Rahman on April 4 dismissed Mintoo's petition against the returning officer's decision to cancel his nomination for procedural flaws.

The following day, he filed the writ petition seeking HC directives for the Election Commission to accept his nomination and allow him to contest the DNCC polls slated for April 28.

Mintoo lost his eligibility for contesting the polls by bringing in an unqualified voter to support his candidacy.

According to the electoral law, a DNCC voter would have to propose his candidacy and another to second it.

The person, Abdur Razzaque, who supported Mintoo's nomination, is a voter of Uttara Sector 12 under Harirampur union parishad, not within the DNCC area.

Last night, Khaleda decided to back Tabith after holding a two-and-a-half hour meeting with leaders of "Adarsha Dhaka Andolan" (Ideal Dhaka Movement), a pro-BNP citizens' platform, at her Gulshan residence in the capital.

Coming out of the meeting around 10:00pm, Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, convener of the platform, communicated the BNP chief's decision to journalists.

The platform emerged on Wednesday as a thinktank for providing guidance and assistance to BNP-backed candidates in city polls.

Likewise, professionals loyal to the ruling Awami League formed a citizens' group, "Dhaka Nagorik Andolan" (Dhaka citizens' movement), the same day. The group, led by writer Syed Shamsul Haque, is working for AL-backed candidates.

Around 10:20pm yesterday, Tabith along with his mother Nasrin Awal and several family members met the BNP chief at her Gulshan residence.

Emerging from the 40-minute meeting, Tabith told reporters that he went there to express his gratitude to Khaleda for endorsing him in the DNCC polls.

"If I get elected as mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation, my first objective would be to turn it into a city of international standard."

The 36-year-old businessman said if elected, he would take steps to preserve the heritage of Dhaka city.       

A close aide to Tabith told this correspondent that the mayoral candidate would launch his polls campaign today.

Earlier, Tabith had expressed unwillingness to contest the election in the wake of criticism that his father intentionally submitted a flawed nomination paper to pave the way for him to contest the city polls.

The BNP chief on April 6 asked Tabith to get ready for the mayoral race if his father failed to qualify for the mayoral race.