The ruling Awami League yesterday announced the names of its 61 district council chairman favourites.

AL parliamentary board for local government polls finalised the names after it held a meeting at the Gono Bhaban with party President Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

From 700 applicants for district council chairman aspirants, the party picked 61 after scrutinising and conducting a survey on the popularity of the candidates and their contributions to the party.

The first-ever district council election will be held on December 28.

After the meeting, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader disclosed the names. In most cases, the incumbent district administrators got AL's support as chairman candidates.

In 2000, the Awami League-led government repealed the Zila Parishad Act, 1988, and passed the District Council Act-2000 with a provision for holding elections to zila parishads. But no election to zila parishads has been held so far.

The polls will be one-sided if the BNP and the Jatiya Party do not participate in the electoral race as per the announcements they have already made.

Only the elected representatives of different local government bodies will cast their votes to elect a chairman, 15 general members and five women members in reserved seats in each district council, according to the District Council (Amendment) Act, 2016.

The elected representatives of each district include chairmen and members of union parishads; chairmen and vice-chairmen of upazila parishads and mayors and councillors of municipalities and city corporations.

The election will be held in 61 districts, excluding three hill districts -- Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari.