12 AL mayoral aspirants collect nomination for 3 city polls

A total of 12 mayoral aspirants of the ruling Awami League have so far collected nomination forms from the party President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office for the city corporation elections to Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal, scheduled to be held on July 30.

The three city corporation elections are crucial for the Awami League and its arch-rival BNP as the local body polls appear as an acid test for both the camps ahead of the national election slated for December.

For Barisal City Corporation elections, Awami League leaders Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, Zahid Faruque, Altaf Hossain Bulu, Mahmudul Haque Khan Mamun and Mir Amin Uddin Ahmed have collected nomination papers.

Meanwhile for Sylhet, the ruling party leaders Asad Uddin Ahmed, Zakir Hossain, Fayzul Anwar, Azadur Rahman Azad and member of Bangladesh Football Federation Mohiuddin Ahmed bought nomination papers to contest the election.

Besides, for Rajshahi, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, former mayor of the city, has collected the party's nomination form to vie the election.

Awami League Local Government Nomination Board will sit with party President Sheikh Hasina tomorrow at her official residence Gono Bhaban around 5.00pm to finalise the candidates in the three city corporation elections.

According to the party insiders, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton has already been given green signal for Rajshahi while Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran for Sylhet City Corporation.

Also, a total of 12 mayoral aspirants backed by BNP collected the nomination forms from the party's Nayapaltan headquarters to vie the elections.

Awami League nominated candidates were defeated by the BNP-backed candidates in the three city corporation elections held in 2013.