Dhaka: Ten mayoral aspirants, including two incumbent mayors, collected BNP’s nomination forms on Thursday for contesting elections to Khulna and Gazipur city polls with the party ticket.

The nomination seekers bought the forms at Tk 10,000 at different times from BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.

Of the total 10 aspirants, seven bought the BNP forms to contest Gazipur city polls while three others Khulna city ones billed for May 15.

The seven BNP aspirants of Gazipur mayoral race are current mayor and party vice chairman Prof MA Mannan, executive committee member Hasanuddin Sarkar, Sramik Dal executive president Salauddin Sarkar, Mannan’s son M Manzurul Karim Roni, Gazipur district unit JCD president Sharfat Hossain and local BNP leaders Shawkat Hossain Sarkar and Abdus Salam.

Apart from mayor Moniruzzaman Moni, Khulna city BNP president Nazrul Islam Manju and its general secretary Shafiqul Islam Mona collected the party’s nomination forms for the Khulna city polls.

The party started selling its nomination from at 10:00am and it continued until 5:00pm.

After filling the nomination forms, the aspirants will have to submit those to the BNP office along with Tk 25,000 security money by 5pm on Friday.

Later, the party nomination board will interview the aspirants on Sunday evening at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office.

On Sunday last, the party decided to join the Khulna and Gazipur city polls billed for May 15 as part of its movement for restoration of people’s ‘voting and other rights’.

Party senior leaders took the decision at a meeting at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.

On Saturday, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda announced that the elections to Gazipur and Khulna city corporations will be held on May 15.

According to the election schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers is April 12, while the dates for scrutinising those are April 15 and 16, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 23.

BNP candidates Moni and Prof Mannan were elected mayors in Khulna and Gazipur polls respectively in 2013 polls.