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Councillor Aspirants in NCC Polls

Two-thirds did not pass school

PANKAG KARMAKAR and MOHAMMAD Al-Masum Molla
The educational qualification of most of the councillor candidates in the upcoming Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls is poor.
Two-thirds of the councillor aspirants did not complete their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations.
The gloomy picture of the candidates was found analysing their affidavits they submitted to the returning officer of the election along with nomination papers.
A total of 15 6 aspirants are vying for 27 general councillor posts. The Daily Star has analysed all of their affidavits.
Of the candidates, 65 claimed either self-educated or literate, 37 studied up to tenth grade, 16 completed SSC education, 19 passed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), while the rest are graduates and above.
For example, the voters of the five wards have no choice except electing their councillors who could not complete their school education. In the wards 1, 6,20,25, and 26, there are no SSC passed candidates.
Many candidates are also facing criminal charges including murder cases, while many had past criminal records.
At least 37 aspirants are accused in criminal cases and 41 had previous
criminal records, said the affidavits.
Maksudul Alam Khandaker Khorshed, a councillor candidate of ward-13, is currently an accused in 24 cases. In past, he was accused in three other cases.
The number of contesting candidates also varied from ward to ward. In ward-9, highest 12 candidates are contesting while only two in ward-26.
Qualified and educated people are reluctant to contest in councillor posts because a city corporation is mostly controlled by the mayor, and councillors can exercise very limited power, said local government and election expert DrTofail Ahmed. “If people with poor educational background and criminal record are elected councillors, they will mainly focus on making money and other evil activities instead of serving the people," he said. The quality of leaderships at the local government bodies will not improve until educated and qualified people contest polls, Tofail viewed.
Only three women candidates are contesting for the NCC ward councillor posts.
MAYORAL CANDIDATE'S EXPENDITURE
BNP-nominated mayoral candidate Shakhawat Hossain plans to spend around half than ruling Awami League-nominated candidate Selina Hayat Ivy, Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party-nominated candidate Mahbubur Rahman Ismail and Islami Oikya Jote-nominated Mufti Ezaharul Haque.
Shakhawat plans to spend around Tk 8 lakh, while Ivy, Ismail and Ezaharul around Tk 15 lakh, according to their affidavits.
Honorarium and salaries as the city mayor is Ivy's lone source, while rest of the candidates claimed they would get money from their own sources and donations from friends and families.
WITHDRAWAL OF NOMINATION
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu)-nominated mayoral candidate Moslem Uddin Bhulu yesterday withdrew his nomination following the request of AL.
Now, seven mayoral aspirants are in the electoral race, said returning officer Nuruzzaman Talukder. Besides, 15 councillor aspirants yesterday withdrew their nominations. The election is scheduled to be held on December 22.