BNP nominates Tabith as mayor candidate

BNP has nominated Tabith Awal as its mayoral candidate for contesting the by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a press conference at the party chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office in the capital on Monday night.

"The BNP nomination board has nominated Tabith Awal to contest the DNCC by-polls considering him as the best, fittest, young and educated candidate," he said.

The BNP leader said the party nomination board also took Tabith's participation in the previous DNCC election into consideration, as he got a huge number of votes in the polls.

Asked, whether the BNP may boycott the DNCC by-polls this time like the previous one, he said it will depend on the situation.

"We’re participating in the by-poll as part of our movement," Mirza Fakhrul added.

Tabith Awal said giving him the nomination to contest the DNCC mayoral by-polls is the victory of the youths.

He said he will start his poll campaign after official confirmation of his candidacy by the Election Commission.

Earlier, the party’s nomination board, comprising BNP standing committee members and its Dhaka North City unit acting president and general secretary, headed by Khaleda Zia interviewed the nomination aspirants on Monday night.

The party selected its candidate after interviewing the five aspirants - Tabith Awal, Shakil Wahed, Asaduzzaman Ripon, Akhtaruzzaman and MA Quyum.

All the five mayor aspirants of the party submitted their nomination papers with Tk 25,000 security money at the party’s Nayapaltan central office at different times in the day.

On Sunday, the five BNP leaders  - the party’s   national executive committee member Tabith Awal, its special secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon, assistant publication affairs secretary Shakil Wahed, Dhaka north city unit BNP president MA Quayum, and ex-MP Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman - collected nomination papers for contesting the by-polls with the party ticket.

As per the schedule declared by the Election Commission, the by-polls to the DNCC mayoral post will be held on February 26.

The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant with the death of Annisul Huq on November 30 last year.

Source: dailysun