Mayor Ariful ends speculation on his re-election ambitions

Ending all speculations, Sylhet Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury has finally announced that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming Sylhet City Corporation elections.

The city's current mayor announced his decision on Saturday while addressing a rally at Sylhet Registry Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Ariful Haque said, "A fair election is not possible under this government. It is envisioning a plan to steal votes by using electronic voting machines (EVM) in the polls."

"I will not take part in any election under this government," Ariful told the rally.

The mayor said his decision was not due to any pressure from the party and apologised to all who wanted him to run for re-election. 

Speculations and rumours 

However, Ariful Haque's various statements and activities at different times gave rise to speculations that he would be contesting the elections, even though his party BNP had announced that they will not participate in the five city corporation elections. 

There were rumours that BNP central committee member Ariful Haque will contest as an independent candidate. 

In a rally in Sylhet on 1 May, Ariful Haque stated that "We will go to the elections in the context of Sylhet."

According to sources close to Ariful Haque, despite the party's objection, he was interested in being a candidate in the election. 

However, making several political calculations, he decided not to seek re-election, including whether he will be allowed to stay in his party and be allowed to campaign freely.

At the rally, Ariful Haque said, "I have not announced my candidacy yet but the police are already harassing my supporters with false cases." 

Referring to the upcoming election as a farce, the mayor said that there is no electoral atmosphere in Sylhet and the whole country at this moment. 

He also objected to the EVM polling system, saying, "The people of Sylhet are completely unfamiliar with EVMs and it is an indication of vote rigging." 

"I fully agree with the BNP's decision. I will not be a candidate for this farce election," he added.

Ariful Haque also said that the reshuffle in the police administration has started as part of the blueprint for election rigging. 

Relief in BNP 

After becoming mayor, there was suspicion and mistrust in the BNP about Ariful Haque due to his closeness with ruling party ministers and MPs, according to party sources. 

Due to Ariful Haque's delay in announcing his decision, some in the BNP began to speculate whether he would follow the "Ukil Abdus Sattar model".  

After resigning from BNP, lawyer Abdus Sattar was elected as an independent candidate in the by-election of the Brahmanbaria-2 seat in January this year with the support of Awami League.

Referring to such rumours, Ariful Haque on Saturday said BNP is in his blood and he will not participate in the elections according to instructions from Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, and his mother.

Welcoming Ariful Haque's decision, the central organising secretary of Sylhet BNP said, "The generosity Ariful Haque showed today thinking of the party and the people is unforgettable. BNP and people will always remember it with gratitude." 

So far eight candidates have collected nominations for the election in Sylhet. The last date for submission of nomination papers is 23 May, and the deadline for withdrawal is 1 June.

Meanwhile, Awami League nominated mayoral candidate Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, Jatiya Party nominated mayoral candidate Nazrul Islam Babul and Islami Andolan Bangladesh's Mahmudul Hasan have already started holding public activities.