6 Jamaat leaders to contest Sylhet city polls
At least 30 leaders of BNP, which has boycotted the election, have also submitted nominations for the councillor post
A number of leaders of Jamaat-e-Islam, many leaders of which have been convicted for war crimes during the Liberation War, and which has lost its registration with the Election Commission, are running for councillor posts in the Sylhet City Corporation election.
At least six leaders of the party have become councillor candidates. Among them are one current and one former councillor.
Meanwhile, at least 30 leaders of BNP, which has boycotted the election, have also submitted nomination papers for the councillor posts. Six out of seven BNP leaders who are currently ward councillors in Sylhet City Corporation have joined the contest.
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According to Jamaat sources, the current councillor of Sylhet city ward-24 Suhail Ahmad Ripon and the former councillor of ward-27 Abdul Jalil Nazrul, have become candidates for the upcoming election. Besides, Jamaat leaders Abdul Hakim is running for the councillor post in ward-10, Suhail Rana in ward-28, Manjurul Islam in ward-33 and Manjurul Islam in ward-41.
Mohammad Fakhrul Islam, amir of Sylhet metropolitan unit of Jamaat, on Wednesday told TBS, "There is no scope of seeing the councillor polls from the point of view of a party. No one runs for the councillor post on party identity. Many members of Jamaat have become councillor candidates due to pressure from the local people."
On 20 May, current Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque announced that he will not participate in the mayoral election this time.
Earlier, Rezaul Hasan Kois Lodi, councillor for four consecutive times and former joint convener of BNP's Sylhet city unit, announced to boycott the election in a press conference.
None of the current BNP councillors, except for Lodi, has boycotted the election.
According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the nomination papers for the Sylhet city polls will be scrutinised on 25 May and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is 1 June.
Sylhet City Corporation polls will be held with electronic voting machines (EVMs) on 21 June.
