North smooth, South not

In Dhaka North City Corporation, things look settled for businessman Annisul Huq as the Awami League-backed mayor candidate. But in Dhaka South, hurdles remain for Sayeed Khokon as some ministers and AL leaders are opposing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's decision to endorse him.

At the cabinet meeting yesterday, Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan expressed their reservations about Khokon, saying they had doubts whether the city AL leaders and activists would join Khokon's campaign, cabinet sources said.

Shajahan said the party should throw its weight behind someone with unquestionable dedication and huge popularity.

At least two ministers, however, favoured Khokon for his “clean image,” the sources added.

Hasina, who chaired the meeting, kept mum all the while. She then asked her cabinet colleagues to make all-out preparations to campaign for the party-sponsored candidates.

The PM hoped all the political parties would participate in the April 28 elections to the two Dhaka city corporations and Chittagong City Corporation, according to the sources.

 On February 26, Hasina, also the AL chief, decided to back former FBCCI president Annisul Huq in Dhaka North and Sayeed Khokon, son of late Dhaka mayor Mohammad Hanif, in Dhaka South as mayor candidates.

Her decision sparked an open discord among party leaders.

A number of AL leaders said neither Annisul nor Khokon had a rich political career. As a result, both will suffer a serious setback in case a BNP-sponsored contender took part in the polls.

Most city AL leaders oppose Khokon's candidacy mainly for his controversial role in 2007 when he joined the Progressive Democratic Party, launched by Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi during the political changeover.

Moreover, despite being the organising secretary of the city AL, Khokon is inactive in the party, insiders said.

In Dhaka North, city AL Vice-president and Dhaka-15 MP Kamal Ahmed Majumder had started campaigning as mayor candidate, but he recently decided to quit the race on Hasina's instructions.

“The leader [Hasina] told me that it's not decent for me to run in the city polls as I'm an MP,” Kamal told The Daily Star.

But in the South, Haji Selim, also an MP, remains firm about running.

He said he would resign from parliament on March 28 to take part in the city election.

"Many people in my area say they will commit suicide if I don't run in the city polls,” he claimed.

On Sunday night, Khokon went to Selim's Nazirabazar residence to seek his blessings but failed, as Selim was not home.

Selim told this correspondent that he did not know Khokon would visit his home.

But Selim is not the only challenge Khokon faces. Recently, a private bank wrote to the Election Commission that Khokon was a loan defaulter, and requested the commission to consider the matter while scrutinising the nomination papers.

Under the law, a loan defaulter cannot run in polls.

Asked about this, Khokon said he already sold his Banani house to repay the loan of over Tk 100 crore with Premier Bank.

“Now I have no problem in contesting the polls," he said.

Khondker Fazle Rashid, managing director of the bank, said Khokon was yet to pay back the loan but the process to this end already started.