Democratic leftist parties and a number of other progressive groups have nominated Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of Gonosonhoti Andolon (Peoples’ Solidarity Movement), as a mayoral candidate for the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) by-election.
According to sources, a formal announcement will be made in this regard at a press conference to be held on Wednesday.
The decision was taken at a meeting attended by representatives of several leftist parties on Monday. The meeting began around 7pm at the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) office in Purana Paltan of Dhaka, and ended at 9pm.
Acting coordinator on the coordination council Abul Hasan Rubel, who was present in the meeting, said: “A decision has been made to nominate Zonayed Saki as the sole candidate for the DNCC mayoral by-polls. Both CPB and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) have agreed to this decision.
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“We will make an effort to nominate candidates in other upcoming polls as well.”
Responding to a query, CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim said: “We, the leftist block, will nominate a sole candidate for the DNCC mayoral by-polls. Formal announcement will come at a press conference.
“Zonayed Saki will represent us in the by-election in the interest of a greater unity among the leftist-progressive block.”
Meanwhile, Saki said: “Residents of Dhaka dreams of a positive change, and I want to make that dream a reality.”
The DNCC by-election is scheduled to be held on February 26. The DNCC mayor post fell vacant on November 30 last year after the death of Annisul Huq, the first ever DNCC mayor.
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Annisul, also a former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, had won the polls as an Awami League-endorsed candidate in 2015.
The Election Commission on February 26 will also arrange polls for the 36 councillor posts and 12 reserved seats in the 36 new wards of DNCC, which has some 2.95 million voters.
According to the commission, January 18 is the last date for the submission of nomination papers by DNCC by-polls contenders. Anyone willing to pull out of the mayoral race will have to do so by January 29.
According to the schedule, nomination papers will be scrutinized between January 21 and 22. The commission will allocate electoral symbols on January 30.
This article was first published on Bangla Tribune
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