Who is contender of Ivy in Narayanganj!

Selina Hayat Ivy has become unparalleled in the election to Narayanganj City Corporation. There is no candidate in the field to fight against the first woman mayor of the country who has led Narayanganj for 18 consecutive years.

The ‘boat’ symbol was handed over to her (Ivy) at a joint meeting of the Awami League's Local Government Nomination Board and the party's Parliamentary Board. The election will be held on 16 January next year (2022).

Ivy was the first elected in 2002. At that time, Narayanganj was a municipality. Her victory after the massive defeat of the Awami League in the 2001 parliamentary elections was against the current. She lost to the ruling BNP candidate. Since then she did not have to look back.

After she was elected, Ivy took development as the only 'philosophy' of her work. She won the hearts of the people with her dedicated work. People of BNP families were also added to this list. That is why she won the last election.

In 2011, it was upgraded from Narayanganj Municipality to City Corporation. At that time, her party Awami League was in power. The influential leader of Narayanganj Shamim Osman joined her in the fight for the nomination. Awami League supported Shamim Osman. Many leaders of the central committee of the Awami League campaigned for him.

BNP candidate Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker was competing with these two leaders. There was a great deal of interest in the triangle war across the country. Ivy was independent as opposed to the two Awami League-BNP candidates. Very few local Awami League leaders and activists were with her. But on the eve of the election, when the BNP withdrew its candidate, the picture changed. Ivy's weight became heavier. Victory also became a kind of certainty. Selina Hayat defeated Shamim Osman in the election by a margin of over one lakh votes.

After being elected city mayor for the first time, she continued to vacate the land of the evicted city corporation along with the different development activities. Her position among the people became stronger.

Ivy’s opponent in the 2016 election was BNP lawyer Shakhawat Hossain. Ivy got boat symbol. This was her first boat brand selection. But she had to face a lot of resistance to get this symbol. Those whose names went from the grassroots to the centre, did not have her name there. Even then the centre put its trust in her. This time too Ivy won by a margin over 70,000 votes.

This time there were three more contestants to get the party nomination of Awami League. They are the district general secretary of the Awami League Abu Hasnat M. Shahid Badal, City Awami League General Secretary Advocate Khokon Saha and Senior Vice President Chandan Sheel. But the Awami League has confidence in Ivy.

Like local observers, Ivy, who has been tackling ‘boat’ and ‘sheaf rice’, has no strong opponents this time. With the nomination of Awami League, the support of party leaders and activists is certain for her. Another political opponent, the BNP, has announced that they will not run in any election under the incumbent government. It remains to be seen what role the Osman family, Ivy's main rival locally, will play.

Even last time, Osman family could not openly oppose Ivy. This time there is no possibility of going public against the ‘boat’ symbol. Apparently, there is no candidate in this election as the opponent of Ivy.

MP/AP/MMA/