Electioneering centres around 'development'

The BNP mayor nominee in Sylhet is cashing in on his development works that he undertook during his term in office, but his rival from Awami League is failing to do so.

It is because immediate past mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury of BNP carried out more development works than what Badar Uddin Ahmed of AL did during his long 17 years at the helm of Sylhet municipality and city corporation, said corporation officials.

The corporation's annual budget increased significantly in the last five years as it received more funding from the government, they added.

But the situation is different in Rajshahi. BNP mayoral candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul alleged that he could not implement enough development projects in the city due to obstacles created by the government.

Elections in the three city corporations will be held on July 30. In the last polls in 2013, BNP-backed candidates won all the three mayor posts defeating the AL favourites.

After being elected as Sylhet mayor, Arif was suspended twice over criminal cases. He could serve in the office for only 31 months out of his five-year tenure.

Immediate past Rajshahi mayor Bulbul was also suspected twice over criminal cases and served in the office for only 23 months.

POLLS IN SYLHET

Many voters in Sylhet said Kamran, president of Sylhet city AL, cannot highlight his development works during campaigning as the city residents are aware of what Ariful has done in last five years, and that too being in the opposition party and remaining behind bars for a major period of his tenure.

During electioneering, Kamran has been focusing on the national development works carried out by the government. He is claiming that all the development projects taken up by Ariful are mainly implemented by the AL government.

“Ariful is showing the government's development projects as his personal achievement. But the people are aware of it. They know that electing an Awami League nominee as mayor will speed up the development works,” he said.

On the other hand, Ariful has been highlighting his development works, including development of the drainage system, extension of roads, recovery of canals from grabbers to solve water logging, construction of Nagar Bhaban and digitalisation of the corporation.

Talking to The Daily Star recently, Ariful said, “People know how I worked for the city's development though the government put me in jail for around three years. If a fair election is held, the voters will definitely stand by development.”

The erstwhile Sylhet Municipality was upgraded to a city corporation in 2001 and the first city corporation election was held in 2003.

Kamran, also the last chairman of Sylhet Municipality, was elected as the first mayor of the city corporation.

Contesting the mayoral polls in 2008 from behind bars, he was re-elected as mayor, beating his nearest rival by 83,339 votes.

But he lost to Ariful, a member of BNP central committee, in 2013 by a margin of 31,157 votes.

After taking office in 2013, Arif along with Finance Minister AMA Munith visited different areas in the city; fixed the priorities of the development works and took many development initiatives. That is why his suspension did not have any impact on the city's development works, said some voters.

LITON UNVEILS MANIFESTO

In Rajshahi, BNP candidate Bulbul yesterday unveiled his election manifesto focusing on some current national issues.

Talking to journalists at a community centre in the city, he said, “I could serve at the mayor's office for only 23 months out of my sixty-month tenure as I was suspended twice. How could I work under such a situation?”

However, Liton during his polls campaign said Bulbul could not carry out development works due to his “incapability”. “How could the Sylhet mayor do more development works than those done in Rajshahi?”

Talking to The Daily Star, Bulbul recently said although he had been the mayor in the last five years, Liton “controlled everything” in the city as his party was in state power.

“During my suspension, a relative of Liton performed the duties of city mayor and increased the holding taxes,” he said.

In Barisal, BNP's Mujibur Rahman Sarwar might lose votes to the nominee of Islami Andolon Bangladesh. Besides, the votes of BSD candidate Monisha Chakraborty might have a negative impact on the results of AL nominee Serniabad Sadik Abdullah, said local experts.

Prof Maksudur Rahman Khan, secretary of Barisal Political Science Parishad, said, “The candidate of Islami Andolon Bangladesh might secure around 30,000 votes which would have gone in favour of BNP. The BSD's supporters used to vote for Awami League.”