Jamaat finalizes mayoral candidates for 13 city corporations
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Jamaat-e-Islami finalized candidates for the mayoral post in 13 city corporations ahead of the local government elections and the list will be published in phases after the Election Commission (EC) announces the schedule.
The party decided to contest relying on its own strength without entering alliance like in national elections. For now, there is no decision to yield any city corporation, including Dhaka, to alliance partners. However, top leaders of the party said the door for local-level compromises at the last minute remains open.
Among these, Jamaat confirmed that Mohammad Selim Uddin, ameer of the party’s Metropolitan North, has been nominated for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), while Md Abu Shadik Kayem, vice president (VP) of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), has been made the candidate for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
Apart from the two Dhaka cities, several policy-level leaders of the party added that Muhammad Shamsuzzaman Helali, organizational secretary of city Jamaat and former councilor, has been selected as the candidate in Chittagong City Corporation (CCC); former Shibir leader and academician Hafizur Rahman in Gazipur; and the party’s Central Assistant Secretary General Muazzam Hossain Helal in Barishal.
Moreover, Jamaat finalized ATM Azam Khan, ameer of Metropolitan Jamaat, in Rangpur; Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, central working council member and ameer of Khulna Metropolitan, in Khulna; Mohammad Abdul Jabbar, ameer of the Metropolitan branch, in Narayanganj; Mohammad Jahangir, nayeb-e-ameer of Metropolitan, in Rajshahi; Nurul Islam Babul, nayeb-e-ameer of Metropolitan, in Sylhet; and Shahidullah Kaiser, secretary of the Metropolitan, in Mymensingh.
Mojibur Rahman, working council member of Metropolitan Jamaat and former VP of Victoria Government College Students’ Union, has been nominated in Comilla City Corporation, and AKM Abdul Malek, former general secretary (GS) of Government Azizul Haque College, has been nominated as the mayoral candidate in the newly formed Bogura City Corporation.
Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said, “Jamaat has taken preparations for the local government elections. The process of nominating candidates at various levels, including union, upazila, district, and city corporation, is in its final stage. In many places, candidates have also been announced internally. The names of the candidates will be officially announced in due time.”
Shadik told Agamir Somoy, “I have long-standing experience in student politics. I was part of major planning in the July-August Movement 2024. As the VP of DUCSU, I have been working successfully for the welfare of students. All in all, the party considered me worthy for this position. Now I want to play a role in national politics as expected.”
Regarding election preparations, he said, “I am visiting various parts of the city. I am receiving an unprecedented response from citizens. I am talking to everyone about what the basic crises of the city are and how to solve them. I am drawing up a plan from now on. The public will place their trust in me.”
Selim Uddin has been making his presence felt in social and political arenas by taking initiatives such as distributing eco-friendly bags for waste management or cleaning canals through the “Clean Dhaka” program.
He told Agamir Somoy, “I have been working for the people of Dhaka North for a long time. I have already introduced more than 200 services. Dhaka city has turned into a city of extortion and tender manipulation. There is no effective plan in waste management. Waterlogging occurs even with slight rainfall. We are framing plans on how to find ultimate solutions to these issues.”
Hafizur said, “Gazipur is one of the country’s major industrial cities. If elected, besides strengthening civic services, I will build a planned and safe urban management system. In particular, finding a sustainable solution to the long-standing traffic congestion, severe waterlogging, and waste crisis is my main goal.”
