AL picks Ivy for N'ganj mayoral race

Selina Hayat Ivy. Star file photo

The ruling Awami League has picked incumbent Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy for its mayoral candidate in Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls slated for December 22.

At a meeting at the Gono Bhaban last night, the party's local government nomination board unanimously nominated Ivy to contest the polls with the AL's electoral symbol boat, said a party press release. 

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.

Party sources said after the decision was made, Ivy met Hasina at the Gono Bhaban where the party chief asked the nominee to work with local AL lawmaker Shamim Osman.

 Earlier, the party's Narayanganj city unit at an extended meeting picked three party leaders, excluding Ivy, as candidates for the mayoral election for the consideration of the central body.

The unit recommended the names of city unit President Anwar Hossain, Siddhirganj upazila unit President Mojibur Rahman and Bandar upazila unit President MA Rashid.

Ivy, who has recently been made vice president of the district AL, had said she would seek Hasina's intervention in getting party ticket.

She was elected as the country's first female city mayor, defeating Awami League-backed candidate Shamim Osman.

The maiden election to the NCC was held on 30 October, 2011. The then opposition BNP-backed contestant boycotted the polls at the last moment.

The BNP, which remains outside parliament for boycotting the last national polls, on Thursday at a meeting decided to participate in the upcoming NCC election.

The AL local government nomination board also decided that the party would give preference to opinion polls while nominating its chairman candidates for the zila parishad elections.

The board also asked presidents and general secretaries of the AL committees in 61 districts, which are going to the polls on December 28, to recommend names for the posts of 15 general councillors and five female councillors and send the list to the AL president's political office within a week.