Former chief of apex RMG trade body Atiqul Islam has collected the Awami League’s nomination form to run for the office of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor.

Islam’s cousin Jahangir Hossain collected the form for him from the Awami League chief’s Dhanmondi offices on Wednesday (Jan 23), his communication official Saifuddin Emon told Bangla Tribune.

On Jan 22, the Election Commission fixed Feb 28 for the Dhaka North mayoral by-election and polls to elect councilors for the 36 new wards to the North and South city corporations.

The office of the Dhaka North mayor fell vacant after the death of Annisul Huq on Nov 30, 2017.
The EC’s announcement of the schedule for the by-polls comes six days after the High Court scrapped a stay order on it.

The Commission had last year announced that mayoral by-polls for Dhaka north and the new city corporation wards will be held on Feb 26. However, the process faced roadblock after Ataur Rahman and Jahangir Alam, Union Council chairpersons of Bhatara and Beraid, filed a petition challenging the decision over their unions being added to Dhaka as city corporation wards.

In the run-up to the Dhaka city polls last year before it was halted two and a half years ago the ruling Awami League backed businessman Atiqul, now heads the Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industries or CEBAI.

He was also the BGMEA president for the 2013-14 term.