Awami League is very alert after the defeat of boat symbol in Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls. Now, the leaders of ruling party want to learn from the mistake and confirm their win in next city corporations’ elections.

Even, in Barishal City Corporation (BCC) election, AL is in tension over the internal conflict and the anti-AL votes in the absence of BNP’s candidate. Conflict also arisen in Sylhet due to their selection of comparatively newer candidate. However, they are seemingly tensionless ahead of the elections of Khulna and Rajshahi city corporations as there the internal unity are stronger and no strong opponent.  

AL presidium member Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, in this regard, told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “We were confident over GCC polls, but the result was totally unexpected. Gazipur was a good lesson for us and from the mistakes committed there, we’d bounce back in polls in four city corporations and confirm the win of boat symbol.”

In RCC and KCC, AL hold comparatively strong position and they’re much tension-free there. In RCC polls, nomination of AL went to current mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, who did significant development works. As there’s no BNP candidate in this election and other candidates are very weak, its assumed that Khairuzzaman will confirm an easy win.

However, according to some sources, even if there is no strong candidate in Rajshahi, there is no opportunity to say that there is much unity within the party. Metropolitan Awami League general secretary Dablu Sarkar sought party nomination in Rajshahi City. Khairuzzaman Liton's conflict with the Dablu Sarker has been going on for a long time. It was not possible to settle it even with the city elections ahead. Rather, there are allegations of sidestepping. Dablu’s sister-in-law district council administrator Mir Iqbal, nephew metropolitan Awami League organizing secretary Mir Istiaq Ahmed Limon, brother district volunteer league general secretary Z Sarkar, another brother labor leader and metropolitan Awami League vice-president Badiuzzaman Khair are not called in the campaign.

However, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “I am not in metropolitan politics, but involved in central politics. Besides, I am a candidate. Many people, including the acting president of the metropolitan Awami League, have called Dablu Sarker several times. I don't know how he will come. He might have own egoism. But believe me, at the end of the day he will be on the field for the boat. A soldier of Bangabandhu's ideals can never go against boat symbol.”

On the other hand, the City Corporation has a plan to expand the area. If the city is expanded, Rajshahi will go into 3 constituencies. MP Ayen Uddin of this constituency does not want his area to fall under the City Corporation. Again, the mayor's daughter, Anika Fariha Zaman Arna wants to be nominated with boat-symbol in the twelfth parliamentary election from that seat. It is said that there is a conflict going on with Ayen.

On the other hand, the mayor has a conflict with Rajshahi-1 Constituency MP Omar Farooq Chowdhury over setting up a shop in front of a market in the city. Litton's journey would be easier if they did not oppose the polls from outside. Several leaders of Rajshahi metropolis and district said that no matter who opposes, the victory of the boat is certain.

Among the four cities, the situation in Khulna is the best. Nazrul Islam Manzoor was supposed to be the candidate of BNP in Khulna. But in the end no leader of BNP stood in this election. Present mayor Talukder Abdul Khalek has received the nomination of Awami League here. There is no other big rival to challenge him. Leaders and workers of the party are also united in favor of Talukdar Abdul Khalek. Moreover, Khalek is known as an honest politician. And that is why political analysts see the possibility of his easy victory in this election.

This time Awami League candidate in Sylhet City Corporation polls is a new face. He is Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, the Joint General Secretary of United Kingdom Awami League. The Sylhet city election was supposed to be heated and Awami League was more apprehensive and skeptical about this city election. But now Awami League is waiting for an easy victory in Sylhet.

Sylhet's current mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury is not participating in the election. And as a result of his withdrawal, Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury is now unopposed. The candidate of Jatiya Party won’t compete with Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury. But the center has its eyes on Sylhet. The party's leaders say that those who were candidates are attending Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury's various discussions and meetings. But the campaign that they will personally do is not visible for now. Again, there were 27 wards in the city elections. 15 new wards have been added. These 15 wards are known as BNP's vote bank. Apart from this, another reason is that anti-boat votes are high in Sylhet. Even if the voter turnout is high, there will be a crisis. All in all, the leaders and workers of the party want to prove that Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury is going to be a worthy successor of Baduddin Ahmed Kamran through the victory of the boat.

Awami League is the most apprehensive about the Barisal City Corporation polls. Abul Khair Abdullah alias Khokon Serniabat has been nominated here. The mayor of this city was his nephew Sadiq Abdullah, General Secretary of Barisal Metropolitan Awami League. Even in the same family, there are conflicts. An extended meeting was held with Barisal Awami League candidates last Friday. The district and metropolitan Awami League called this meeting on the instructions of the election management team of the center. But candidate Abul Khair Abdullah did not go to the meeting. Former mayor Sadiq Abdullah was not seen again. The politics of 'influence' is now going on in Barisal City. Metropolitan Awami League Vice President Gazi Naemul Hossain Litu was not present in this extended meeting as General Secretary of Metropolitan Awami League and current City Mayor Sadiq Abdullah was not present.

Metropolitan Awami League president AKM Jahangir said in the meeting, “We wanted to work for the boat from the very beginning. Our activities are being obstructed. We sit at home. Our hearts are bleeding.”

Drawing the attention of the central leaders present in the meeting, he said, “Create an environment so that we can work for the boat. “

Awami League Central Committee Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim said that there was some misunderstanding in Barisal based on the nomination of the boat. Today's extended meeting ended all differences.

Bahauddin Nashim warned the leaders and workers and said that if any incident happens, how the team leader conducting this election will show his face to the Prime Minister. And how will the leaders and workers stand up to the team leader. He urged everyone to make the boat-symbol victorious on June 12 to protect their existence.

Awami League presidium member Abdur Rahman said in the meeting, "I can smell the Barisal city election. If someone wins before winning, then he cannot win. City elections are a preparation, a rehearsal for national elections. Do whatever it takes to win this election. I think there are four or five people around my brother Khokon, who are misleading him. We will make an inquiry team led by Awami League Joint Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim. This team will find out the villains.”

Awami League presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak said in the meeting, “Gazipur city election is a lesson for us. This city corporation election is a barometer of national elections. If the leaders and workers of each ward of Barishal metropolis Awami League take the oath and enter the field, the boat candidate will win in each ward. District and metropolitan Awami League leaders were waiting for instructions from brother (Abul Hasanat Abdullah). This extended meeting has been held to give that direction. We will give a gift to the Prime Minister by winning in the Barishal City Corporations election. This is our pledge to make Hasanat Bhai's face brighter through this victory.”

Although there is no BNP candidate in this city, the candidate of Hatpakha, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Naib Amir Mufti Faizul Karim is quite strong. Because the internal conflict of Awami League has not been resolved yet, there is no BNP candidate in the field. So, using these two equations, the candidate wants to play the game.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on May 28 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque