SCC election: Mayor Arif`s confusion about candidacy!

The local government Sylhet City Corporation SCC election dates have not been finalised, but the potential mayoral candidates have already entered the field. Banners, posters, billboards of potential candidates covered the city. However, all those campaigning are Awami League nominees. When the potential candidates of Awami League have entered the field for the city elections, they have announced their candidacy in various ways, but the leaders of BNP have not seen any activity so far.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury was elected mayor as the nominated candidate of BNP in the last two SCC elections. Ariful's popularity is believed to have increased due to various development activities in two consecutive terms. However, this time BNP has announced that it will not participate in any election under this government. The party is continuing the movement to demand the fall of the government and caretaker government.

In this situation, various speculations are going on whether the member of the central executive committee of BNP, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, will be a candidate in the city elections.

A few days ago Election Commissioner said that elections will be held in five cities including Sylhet by next September. Alamgir. He said this in response to reporters' questions at his office in the election building last Sunday.

Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said, "BNP is not thinking about elections now." I will accept the party's decision in this regard.

A source close to Mayor Ariful Haque said that although he is active in the ongoing movement of BNP, Arif is also preparing for the election in his own way. At the last moment he will understand the situation and take action. Even if the party does not go to the polls, Mayor Arif can be a candidate under the banner of the civic committee.

According to the source, the most popular candidate in Sylhet City was the late Badruddin Ahmad Kamran, former president and former mayor of Sylhet Metropolitan Awami League. Ariful was elected mayor after defeating Kamran in 2013 and 2018. Due to Kamran's death in 2020, there is no strong Awami League candidate in Sylhet. As a result, Ariful's victory will be much easier if there is a 'fair election'. By explaining this to the central leaders of BNP, he can convince them to run for the election at the last moment or he can also become an independent candidate with the consent of the top leaders.

The BNP source close to Ariful said that everything depends on the political situation at that time, Ariful is seeking the nomination of BNP in the Sylhet-4 seat in the parliamentary elections. Ariful may not participate in the city elections if BNP participates in the next elections and is confirmed to receive nominations in that election.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury was the councilor of a ward of SCC during the four-party coalition government led by BNP. The then Finance and Planning Minister M. With the blessings of Saifur Rahman, he became an influential leader of Sylhet. Saifur called him a 'diplomatic leader'.

At that time there were allegations of widespread corruption against Arif. Arif's name also appeared in the list of the country's top 50 corrupt persons by the Anti-Corruption Commission during the army-backed caretaker government that emerged on 1/11. He was arrested at that time. After that, he went behind politics for some time.

In 2013, Ariful was elected mayor for the first time during the rule of Awami League by defeating the then mayor Badruddin Ahmad Kamran.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury said, "The election schedule has not been announced yet." The team will decide on this after announcing the schedule. Moreover, we are now in a movement demanding the fall of the government. No election will be fair under this government.

Meanwhile, although BNP is silent, Awami League has seen a tangle of candidates. Several leaders of Awami League are actively campaigning to get party nomination. The city is covered with their posters and billboards. Besides, potential candidates have also started public relations.

Awami League leaders think that BNP may not participate in the city elections this time. In this case, party nomination is sure to win. So he is trying desperately for party nomination.

Awami League's joint general secretary Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, former central organizing secretary of the party Misbah Uddin Siraj, Sylhet Metropolitan Vice President Asad Uddin Ahmad, general secretary Zakir Hossain, joint general secretary ATM Hasan Zebul and councilor Azadur Rahman Azad, member Prince are conducting activities to get the nomination of Awami League. Sadruzzaman and Badruddin Ahmad Kamran's son Dr. Armaan Ahmed Shiplu.

Among them, Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury is campaigning that he has received the green signal from the party's high command. About Ariful's candidature, Anwaruzzaman said, "Whether BNP or Ariful Haque participates in the election is their matter. I have no worries about this. I am continuing to work under the instructions of the party high command. I am going door to door to the people.

It is to be noted that after the establishment of Sylhet City Corporation in 2002, elections have been held four times so far. Every time Awami League's party candidate was Badruddin Ahmad Kamran, former president of city Awami League. Badruddin Ahmad Kamran was elected for the first two terms. In the last election of 2018, BNP nominated mayoral candidate Ariful Haque Chowdhury was elected by getting 92 thousand 588 votes. His nearest rival Awami League nominated candidate Badruddin Ahmad Kamran got 86 thousand 392 votes. Before this, Ariful Haque Chowdhury was elected by getting 1 lakh 7 thousand 330 votes in the election held in 2013; At that time also his closest rival was Badruddin Ahmed Kamran. Kamran got 72 thousand 173 votes.

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