Jatiya Party (JP) backed may-oral candidate Solaiman Alam Sheith here yesterday announced his decision to step back from contesting the June 17 Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls, and extended support to ruling Awami League (AL) backed ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
With such a dramatic move Mohiuddin will now enjoy the full backing of the grand alliancein the election.
Earlier on May 31, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami backed mayoral candidate Afseruddin Chowdhury withdrew his candidacy extending support to BNP backed Manjur Alam.
Solaiman at a press conference at JP city unit office at Chawkbazar yesterday evening announced his decision extending support to Mohiuddin for the unity of the grand alliance.
He said the CCC election is very important to keep the development works of the present government going.
Solaiman said the opposition force could take advantage of the division of the grand alliance to win the polls and that would hamper the ongoing development works of the government.
“So, I took the decision upon the request of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and directive of party chairman HM Ershad to keep the unity,” he said.
Sources said Solaiman decided to pull himself back from contesting the polls following a directive by HM Ershad yesterday afternoon.
The decision, however, disappointed his supporters who blocked the street in front of Chawkbazar JP office at around 6.30pm.
Later, they lifted the blockade after Solaiman pacified them. At a brief rally he told his supporters that the party took the decision for the greater benefit of the grand alliance.
He said JP and its chairman did much for the alliance and continued to support it without thinking of getting anything in return.
A press release was also sent from Dhaka office of JP chairman and former president HM Ershad in the afternoon saying that the party backed mayoral candidate will step back from contesting the CCC polls according to the directive of the party chairman.
The release said the party took the decision so that one candidate from the alliance can contest the election for a greater interest.
Earlier, Solaiman told reporters that he would not step back from the mayoral contest even if his party chairman requests.
He did not withdraw his nomination paper on the last day of the withdrawal and continued to carry out his election campaign until yesterday before taking the deci-
sion.
Meanwhile, AL backed mayoral candidate Mohiuddin has become more confident as several rival party leaders extended support to him and promised to work for ensuring his win in the June 17 CCC election.
On Friday, a team comprised of a few central leaders of the party from Dhaka led by AL central Joint Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif went to Chittagong and sit with Mohiuddin and other AL leaders.
Three anti-Mohiuddin local leaders, AL Chittagong city unit vice-presidents Mahtabuddin Chowdhury and Nayeemuddin Chowdhury, and organising secretary Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, all loyal to AL lawmaker Nurul Islam, arrived at the main office of Nagorik Committee around 7:00pm on Friday.
They declared that they will campaign jointly for Mohiuddin at the meeting before the team.
Three ward councillors Jalal Uddin Iqbal, Tareq Solaiman Selim and Giasuddin, who raised voices against Mohiuddin several times and are now vying for councillor posts, also came with them and attended the meeting.
AL central Joint Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, AL Presidium Member Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser, AL Chittagong divisional unit organising secretary Ahmad Hossain, central Executive Member Aminul Islam were present at the meeting.
RO letter to EC
Meanwhile, returning officer of the CCC election here yesterday sent a letter to the
secretary of Election Commission (EC) to take action regarding participation of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) chairman in an electoral campaign.
In the letter, the RO mentioned that from two local dailies and election office sources, they knew that CDA Chairman Abdus Salam took part in an electoral campaign on behalf of mayoral candi-date ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
The RO Jesmin Tuli also mentioned that since CDA is a government organisation, its chairman's participation in electioneering constitutes a breach of electoral code of conduct.
She also told The Daily Star that Salam cannot participate in any electoral campaign on behalf of any candidate as he is the chairman of the CDA and enjoys facilities from the government.
“We sent the letter through fax to the EC to take step in this regard,” she said adding that a copy of the letter will also be sent to Abdus Salam.
CDA Chairman Abdus Salam took part in a campaign with Mohiuddin in the city's Mohora area Friday afternoon.
The RO also issued showcause notices yesterday to the two candidates-- Enamul Haq Muniri and Hossain Murad—for councillor posts of Ward No 37 (West-Middle Halishahar) after they were locked in a clash over the election campaign in the presence of local lawmaker MA latifWednesday night.
“We asked them to explain within 24 hours why the RO should not recommend that the EC cancel their candidacy,” said the RO.