The Awami League has picked AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and Serniabat Sadek Abdullah as its mayoral candidates for Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal city elections respectively.  

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader disclosed the decision after a joint meeting of the party's Parliamentary Board and Local Government Nomination Board held at the Gono Bhaban yesterday evening with AL President Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Liton is the president of the party's Rajshahi city unit, Kamran president of Sylhet city unit and Serniabat is joint secretary of Barisal city unit.  Liton and Kamran, both former mayors, were defeated by BNP-backed candidates in 2013 polls.

A total of 12 mayoral aspirants had collected nomination forms for Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal city polls, scheduled to be held on July 30.

The ruling party sees polls to the three city corporations as crucial tests for the party as it wants to demonstrate its popularity by winning them ahead of the national election slated for December.

After interviewing the nomination seekers, AL President Sheikh Hasina said the upcoming polls are very much important for the government with the national election nearing.

"Naturally, these elections are very much important to us ... There's winning and there's losing in elections but make sure these don't bring the Awami League into disrepute. And work together so that we could serve people," she said, reports UNB.

Hasina said the city corporation elections are vital, and all leaders and activists have to work for the party's candidates, abide by the central decisions and ensure that there is no any intra-party feud.

More than 6,000 elections were held in the country under the AL rule and the BNP could not prove any allegation about these polls, Hasina said.

She also said neither her party nor her government wants any election like Magura by-polls or the general election held on February 15, 1996.

The prime minister added that the drives against militancy, terrorism and drugs are on and will continue.

Also at the meeting, the party nominated MA Matin for Kurigram-3 by-election. The constituency fell vacant following the death of Jatiya Party lawmaker AKM Maidul Islam on May 10.