Bangladesh Awami League has again chosen Dr Selina Hayat Ivy as its mayoral candidate to contest the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) election slated for January 16 next.
Besides, the ruling party picked Khan Ahmed Shuvo as its MP candidate for Tangail-7 parliamentary by-polls scheduled to be held on the same date (Jan 16).
The names of AL aspirants were finalised at a meeting of AL parliamentary and local government nomination boards, held in the afternoon with AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Since the formation of the Narayanganj City, incumbent mayor Dr Selina Hayat Ivy won the first two elections in 2011 and 2016. Earlier, she was the mayor of the erstwhile Narayanganj municipality.
The maiden election to NCC was held in a non-partisan manner in 2011. In 2016, Dr Ivy was reelected the NCC mayor as AL candidate as the mayoral election was held using party symbols unlike the councillor election in the city corporation.
On November 30 last, the Election Commission announced schedules for NCC election and Tangail-7 by-polls. The parliamentary constituency fell vacant following the death of AL MP Akabbar Hossain on November 16.
According to the schedules, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers is December 15, while the date for the scrutiny of nomination papers is December 20 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is December 27 in the NCC and Tangail-7 constituency.
The third election to Narayanganj City will be held using electronic voting machines (EVM) instead of traditional ballot papers.
Besides, the meeting finalized the names of AL chairman candidates for the Union Parishads of Parbatipur Upazila in Dinajpur district as well as the Union Parishads in Khulna and Barisal divisions, as the local bodies will go to polls in the 5th phase on January 5 next.
A total of 707 Union Parishads will go to polls in this phase in 47 districts.
According to the polls schedule announced by the EC, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers is December 07, while the date for the scrutiny of nomination papers is December 09 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is December 15.
Source: United News of Bangladesh