Ivy, Shamim meet PM

The mayor-elect of Narayanganj, Selina Hayat Ivy and the defeated candidate Shamim Osman, who was backed by the Awami League in the city corporation polls, on Tuesday met the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, at her Ganabhaban residence.

The two rivals at the meeting assured Hasina, also the president of the AL, that they would work together for the party and the people of Narayanganj forgetting the past.

Their meeting with the prime minister lasted more than a half an hour.

The prime minister told the two leaders that although some leaders had expressed their support for Shamim Osman in the election, the party high command refrained from backing either candidate as both were leaders of the AL, sources said.

After the meeting, the prime minister presented a bouquet to Ivy saying that she was delighted at the latter’s being elected the Narayanganj mayor.

‘We want to ensure the power of the people so that they can express their opinions freely,’ the prime minister said, adding that free, fair and credible elections were very important for democracy and people’s democratic rights.

Hasina also said she was satisfied that the Narayanganj polls were held in a free and fair manner as the AL was in the state power.

‘The Awami League did not try to manipulate any elections held under the present government,’ said the prime minister, adding that polls must be free and fair if the Elections Commission performed its duty perfectly.

Expressing her satisfaction at the huge turnout in the local government polls, she also said that deployment of army was not necessary for holding free, fair and credible elections.

‘I came here to seek divine blessing for our leader [Hasina],’ Ivy told reporters after the meeting.

She said that she had assured the prime minister that she would work for welfare of the people and forget all differences and rivalries.

Ivy entered the Ganabhaban at about 8:00pm and found that Shamim was already there holding talks with Hasina. The prime minister urged the two rivals to bury the hatchet and work together.

Ivy’s two sons, Sadman Hayat and Sardin Hayat, and leaders of Narayanganj AL were present at the meeting.

Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1

Read More on Hotels Dhaka