DHAKA: Five aspirants on Sunday (January 14) collected the nomination forms of the BNP from the party’s central office in city’s Nayapaltan for mayoral by-polls in the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

The aspirants are- BNP’s special secretary Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon, the party-backed previous mayoral candidate and its executive committee member Tabith Awal, central assistant publication affairs secretary Shakil Wahed, Dhaka north city unit president MA Quayum and former BNP MP Maj (retd) Akhtaruzzaman.

The nomination seekers of the party ticket bought the forms at Tk. 10,000 from BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed.

Tabith Awal contested the last DNCC polls held on April 28 in 2015 with BNP ticket. The BNP boycotted the voting halfway through bringing various allegations, including widespread vote rigging.

The party started selling the nomination forms from at 11:00 am and it continued until 4:00 pm. The nomination seekers will have to submit the forms to the BNP office with Tk. 25,000 security money by 4:00 pm on Monday (January 15).

Earlier on Saturday night (January 13), BNP standing committee members at a meeting decided to sell the nomination forms among people willing to take part in the upcoming mayoral by-polls with the party ticket.

The party’s nomination board will interview the aspirants on Monday night (January 15) at the party chairperson's Gulshan office in the city. The board headed the BNP chief will pick one of the nomination seekers as the party candidate for the by-polls. The party-nominated candidate will be announced after the meeting.

The mayoral by-polls in the DNCC will be held on February 26. The mayor post fell vacant following the death of Annisul Huq at a London hospital on November 30.

BDST: 1855 HRS, JAN 14, 2018
EHJ