Candidates vie each other in making promises

The candidates for mayoral elections of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) promised Saturday a better city to live in, if elected.
The polls to DSCC, DNCC and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) will be held on April 28.
"If elected, I will make Dhaka a clean, green and smart city. The Corporation office will be freed from corruption. It will not be a political office," Awami League-backed mayoral candidate for DNCC Annisul Huq said while declaring his electoral manifesto at the Lotus Kamal Tower at Nikunja in the capital on the day.
"I don't want to be the city father. Rather I want to be a friend of the city-dwellers," he said. He will contest the polls with 'table watch' symbol.  
He assured the voters that there would be sufficient mass public transports in the city for the dwellers and there would be separate transport facilities also for women.  
He said, "It is now time to resolve the city problems.  If elected as mayor, I will build the city that will equally serve the rich and the poor".
He said if elected, he will do his best to make better coordination among 56 organisations for ensuring water, gas, and power supplies along with other civic facilities.
Awami League leader and former LGRD and Cooperatives minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak and international affairs secretary of the party Faruk Khan, among others, were present.
BNP-backed mayoral candidate for DNCC Tabith Awal said on the day that he was getting a huge public response which is beyond his expectation.
"I will turn Dhaka into a beautiful city if I win with the support of the public," he said while campaigning at Korail slums at Mohakhali in the city.
But during the campaign, no BNP senior leaders were found with him on the day. He started his election campaign on Friday by offering prayers at Hazrat Ambar Shah shrine at Karwan Bazar in the city.  
"As a candidate, I am young. The city-dwellers want young leadership. I am getting people's support. I hope people will elect me through ballots," said Mr Awal, who is contesting the polls with 'bus' symbol.
Awami League-backed DSCC mayoral candidate Syed Khokon campaigned on the day with his election symbol 'Hilsa' fish. He made campaigns at Gandaria and Sutrapur in the city.
Wife of BNP-backed mayoral candidate for the DSCC Afroza Abbas urged the Election Commission (EC) to give scope to her husband for being engaged in election campaign.  
She blamed the EC for not taking any action against Awami League-backed candidate Syed Khokon for violation of the election code of conduct.
She claimed that leaders and activists of the BNP were facing harassment. She said this during election campaign at Habib Community Centre at Bijoy Nagar in the city on the day. Mr Abbas is contesting the polls with 'mug' symbol.
She called upon the EC to take initiatives so that people could cast their votes freely.
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) backed mayoral candidate for DNCC Mahi B. Chowdhury called upon the journalists to remain neutral during the city corporations' elections.  
"It is my request to you (journalists), please do your duty without bias," he said while exchanging views with the journalists at Dhaka Reporters Unity at Segunbagicha in the city.  
Mr Chowdhury, who is the joint secretary general of BDB, termed the upcoming election as an opportunity to build the capital and make it beautiful.
About his rivals, he said, "Anis bhai and Tabith are not my enemies. I want to work with them. Anis is my elder brother. Tabith is my friend and also younger brother. I want to build the city," he said.  
He said many had asked him whether he would make a retreat from the elections.
"I say I won't," Mr Chowdhury, who is contesting the polls with 'eagle' symbol, said.
The DNCC has 36 wards and around 12,000 polling agents are required for the polls, he said. Founding member of the BDB Hafizur Rahman Jantu was also present.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com