Awami League and BNP nominated mayoral and councillor candidates for the two city corporations in Dhaka kicked off their election campaigns on Friday.

The campaign started after the returning officers for South and North city corporations had allocated their poll symbols for the upcoming elections scheduled to be held on January 30.

After getting the poll symbol ‘Boat’, Awami League nominated mayoral candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) started his campaign from Demra’s E Haque School on Friday.

Inviting the people to spread the message of development undertaken by the incumbent government, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said he will make Dhaka a ‘beautiful and developed’ one if he is elected mayor.

“Journey towards this challenge has begun from today (Friday),” he said urging the voters and well wishers to give him a chance to serve them.

As part of his first day campaign, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh roamed around different parts of Demra area and distributed leaflets among the people amid election festivity.

AL Presidium Member Abul Hasnat Abdullah, former Dhaka South unit’s General Secretary Shah Alam Murad, former organizing secretary Kazi Morshed Hossain Kamal, Demra Thana Awami league secretary advocate Masud and local lawmaker Habibur Rahman Molla accompanied him during the election campaign.

Like DSCC candidates, Awami League nominated mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Atiqul Islam on Friday launched formal election campaign from Uttara sector-4.

During the election campaign in Uttara area, Atiqul Islam urged the voters to cast their votes in favour of “Boat” symbol to continue the development works of Dhaka.

“Please cast your vote on January 30 to make Dhaka a dynamic and modern city. I am a workaholic guy and want to work for you,” said Atiqul.

Seeking support from the city people, he said the Awami League government is taking the country to a new height in terms of development.

“Boat has a single gear that is the front gear. It has no back gear,” he said.

Meanwhile, the mayoral candidates of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for Dhaka north and Dhaka south city polls began their campaigns formally on Friday.

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday allocated symbols among the mayoral candidates of the upcoming polls to two Dhaka cities.

The EC allocated the Sheaf of Paddy, the election symbol of BNP for Tabith Awal, mayoral candidate for DNCC, and Ishraq Hossain, mayoral candidate for DSCC.

Speaking at election campaign of Ishraq Hossain, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday at the north gate of the national mosque Baitul Mukarram that they have taken the city election as part of their movement to ‘restore’ democracy and ‘release’ the party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

“Today our movement has started a fresh. This movement started to relieve the countrymen, release Khaleda Zia and bring back the party acting chairman Tarique Rahman,” he added.

At the programme, Ishraq Hossain hoped that he would win the Dhaka south city election.

“I’m BNP nominated mayoral candidate. I seek blessing from the countrymen. We have been involved in the movement through the election for the release of Khaleda Zia,” he said.

Ishraq Hossain also sought vote for the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ symbol in the upcoming elections to the DSCC.

BNP leaders including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku, Abdus Salam, Abdus Salam Azad and Shahidul Islam Babul were also present.

Meanwhile, Tabith Awal, BNP’s mayoral candidate for Dhaka north city, also started his election campaign through a programme in the city’s Uttara area the same day  after praying juma prayer at a mosque in Uttara sector no. 7.

“We have formally kicked off our election campaign. The city people are eagerly waiting to cast their vote. We will release Khaleda Zia along with the voters,” he said.

Tabith Awal said he wants to build a modern Dhaka city and take all necessary plans to save it.

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, BNP leaders Abdul Awal Mintoo, Mohammad Shahjahan, Joynal Abdin Farrooq and Saiful Alom Nirob were also present in the programme.