Defiant Zayeda Khatun picks up mantle taken from son Jahangir in Gazipur

Zayeda Khatun, mother of former mayor Mohammad Jahangir Alam, received her electoral symbol to contest the mayor post in the upcoming Gazipur City Corporation, following the rejection of her son from the race due to allegations of loan default.

Zayeda will contest as an independent candidate although observers say she will have the full-backing of her son's supporters.

She said, "I will complete the works started by my son Jahangir. Staying by his side I now know the inner workings of the job and will be able to take on the role of the mayor if elected."

Earlier, Zayeda also said, "I want to demonstrate the depth of support and love the people of Ward 57 have for me through their votes. I will fight till the end for my son."

She was allocated the "table clock" symbol on Tuesday.

Following the Gazipur City Corporation election schedule, symbol allocation among the candidates of all the posts started around 10am yesterday in Bangataj Auditorium of the city. Gazipur City Corporation Election Returning Officer Md Faridul Islam allocated symbols among eight candidates for the mayor post.

Photo: TBS

Five candidates backed by political parties were given respective party symbols for contesting for the mayoral post. They are Awami League nominated Advocate Azmat Ulla Khan, Jatiya Party nominated MM Niaz Uddin, Gano Front supported candidate Atiqul Islam, Islami Andolan Bangladesh nominated Gazi Ataur Rahman, and Zaker Party nominated Raju Ahmed.

Among the three independent candidates, former mayor of Gazipur City Corporation (dismissed) Mohammad Jahangir Alam's mother Zayeda Khatun got the clock symbol, jailed BNP leader Nurul Islam Sarkar's son Sarkar Shah Nur Islam Roni got the elephant symbol and Md Haroon-ur Rasheed received the horse symbol.

Besides, 239 candidates will contest for the post of general councillor, and 77 candidates will contest for reserved seats. Gazipur City Corporation elections will be held on 25 May.

Returning officer Faridul Islam requested all the candidates to follow the electoral code of conduct.

Zayeda Khatun for Jahangir

Jahangir Alam was suspended from the post of mayor in November 2021 on charges of corruption, abuse of power and mismanagement. He was also expelled from the Awami League for breaking party discipline.

However, Jahangir was reinstated to the party in January this year, subject to conditions.

Jahangir Alam sought an Awami League nomination to be a candidate for the post of mayor in the Gazipur city elections. However, the party nominated Metropolitan Awami League President Azmat Ullah Khan.

The former Gazipur city mayor submitted his nomination papers on 27 April to run for the post again as an independent candidate. At the same time, he also submitted nomination papers in favour of his mother Zayeda Khatun – as a strategy to continue the electoral fight if he was rejected.

Jahangir's fear came true. His nomination papers were rejected on 30 April on the grounds of being a loan defaulter. Later he appealed against the Election Commission's decision. However, the appeal authorities on 4 May rejected his appeal.

"I have many dreams for the city which my mother will fulfil if she wins," Jahangir Alam told The Business Standard on Tuesday. "My mother is contesting to save his son and save the city."

Jahangir said his mother is not new in politics. She has been working for people through guiding his son who was upazila vice-chairman and chairman, general-secretary of the Awami League, and a mayor. "My mother has always been my teacher. Now the student will be beside her."

Talking to TBS, at least 20 voters of Gazipur said they are not familiar with Zayeda Khatun, they just know her as the mother of Jahangir Alam.

"We don't know Zayda Khatun separately. She neither did politics before, nor came out of home. She has come to the elections for the first time. People know Jahangir Alam and those who will vote for Zayeda Khatun will actually vote for Jahangir Alam," said Nurjahan, a resident of ward-32 in Gazipur city.

Another voter, Kalam who lives next to Jahangir Alam's house, added that they knows Zayeda Khatun as Jahangir Alam's mother. "She has no other identity for us."

As per the documents submitted to the Election Commission, Zayeda Khatun was born in 1962. She is self-educated and has no history of lawsuits. Her occupation is business, from which she earns Tk3.45 lakh per year.