Nomination seekers wooing voters for JS polls

There are five constituencies in eight Upazilas of Chandpur district.

With the start of the new year, as the days of the coming poll are drawing nearer, the probable ruling party candidates for the coming national poll are becoming active. Some of them are gearing up their public and social contacts to contest in their own constituencies. But the BNP, JP and other party nomination seekers are yet to get started. They have not even managed to put up posters in weekly markets (haats) and local bazaars to announce their aspiration for nomination.

A random survey shows that ‘new faces’ of the ruling party want to replace the old ones who have already served two or three terms as MPs and have, thus, had a taste of the fruits of doing politics. They think, ‘old order changes giving place to the new faces’. They believe the new and young leaders can render better services to the people in the challenging days ahead.

In Chandpur-1 constituency, (Kochua), former NBR Chairman and Secretary Golam Rahman is a new face in politics at the grass-root level. He has been working here for the last 6/7 months and in the Kochua belt. He officially joined the AL hardly two months ago. He has arranged several meetings and is contacting people and party workers with a view to contesting the next general election as an AL candidate from Kochua. He told The Independent that he had so far encountered many obstacles and faced more than 12 unexpected attacks by his rivals while campaigning for and under the banner of many social programmes.

Sitting MP and former Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir is also actively working in Kochua with an eye on the candidacy in the next general election. Contacted, Golam Hossain told this correspondent, “I am optimistic about getting nomination from AL.”

JP candidates Dr Shahidul Islam (former Chairman of Chandpur Zila Parishad) and former JP leader Rafiqul Islam Roni’s wife are yet to gear up their activities to get nominations in Kochua.

 Former State Minister for Education A N M Ehsanul Huque Milon, who eradicated the use of unfair means in public exams and exam halls in Kochua and other places, is not active either. But his party leaders and workers have quietly begun making preparations. Veteran BNP men and activists say they will burst on the scene like Royal Bengal Tigers when the time comes.

 In Chandpur-2 constituency, (Matlab South and Matlab North Upazilas), Mofazzol Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram, MP, is active in his electoral areas. He goes there every weekend and keeps in close touch with the electorate and his party worker. His son, his political aides, and activists are also busy preparing the ground.

Dr Jalaluddin Ahmed seems to be the likely BNP candidate. Some BNP activists and workers say, “We are ready to contest the coming Jatiya Sangsad poll under the party banner, whoever the candidate.” They claim, “If the coming election is free and fair, unlike the one in 2014, we will win by a good margin defeating the AL candidate.”

 As for the JP, Jamaat and Gono Forum, the names of their probable candidates are not being heard yet.

In Chandpur-3 constituency (Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar), former foreign minister and sitting MP Dr Dipu Moni is directly seeking votes from people in all the functions she attends in Chandpur and Haimchar areas.

 AL central leader Sujit Roy Nandi has also been holding meetings, attending social and cultural functions and, thus, wooing voters in Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar areas as a probable candidate in the coming poll.

 A very new face in Chandpur politics, Redwan Khan Borhan, a central leader of the Awami Motshwajibi League and President of the Chandpur District Matswajibi League, is also a nomination-seeker from the AL to contest the coming poll in Chandpur-Haimchar areas. He has been working and contacting people for the past few months at the grass-roots level.

 Here there are a few probable BNP candidates to contest the coming parliamentary poll. They are Sk Farid Ahmed Manik, convener of the District BNP, ex-MP GM Fazlul Huque, and Kamaluddin Ahmed Chowdhury. But Sk Farid Ahmed is the most acceptable candidate to the party activists and rank-and-file workers because he has been organizing the party for last four to five years. “If the coming poll is fair and free, he is sure to win,” say veteran BNP activists. No candidate from JP is still being heard of or is seen to be active in Chandpur.  From Gono Forum, Advocate Selim Akbar may stand.  Bangladesh Khelafotey Andolon candidate Rokonuzzaman has formally declared his candidature for contesting in the coming poll.  No independent or Jamaat candidate’s name is in circulation yet.

For Chandpur-4 constituency, Faridganj, sitting MP Dr Shamsul Huque Bhuiyan is working as usual to retain his status as an MP in the coming poll too. His strong rivals are the BNP’s ex-MP Lion Harun-or-Rashid, and noted social worker and BNP leader M A Hannan (Mercantile Bank).

 Jatiyo Press Club President and veteran journalist Shafiqur Rahman is also a strong contender from the ruling party for this post. He has been working tirelessly for the last few years to get nomination from the AL to contest in the coming national poll at Faridganj. His activists and men are sticking posters here and there in Faridganj projecting him.

Two young leaders, former BCL leader  Advocate Jahidul Islam Roman and Dr Harun–or-Rashid Sagor are working  and wooing the voters for the election symbol ‘Boat’  in Faridganj. 

 For Chandpur-5  constituency,(Hajiganj-Shahrasti), AL nomination-seekers are Prof A K M Fazlul Huque,  renowned sports organizer  of Kolabagan Club President Shafiqul Alam Feroze, Dhaka Power Cell DG Md Hossain,  Brigadier H M Salahuddin,  and   renowned indus-trialist  Engineer Md Shafiqul Islam (Shahrasti ). All of them, except Fazlul Huque, took meals together in a ‘Gono Bhoj’ arranged by Shafiqul Alam Feroze at Shah  Shaheb Jamey Masjid  at Shahrasti  town on August 15.

 Recently, on the occasion of the Victory Day, almost all of them  were seen   together on a stage at a discussion meeting held at Kaliapara in Shahrasti. They all seemed  against  Major Rtd Rafique, sitting MP. After the meeting, there were slogans like “Major chhara Nowka chai” (We want the Boat without the Major). Major Rafique has been elected MP for three times. He was also Home Minister when AL came to power  in 1997.  Advocate Noorjahan Begum Mukta (Reserved female MP ) is also a likely MP candidate  from Hajiganj.   From November 17 last, Major Retd Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam, MP, has already started his own campaign for contesting the coming poll.

 Here BNP candidates are M A Matin, ex–MP, Engineer Md  Mominul Huque and also Principal Alamgir Kabir Patwary. There has been a serious and long-standing conflict between Matin sir and Engineer Momin. “One can’t   tolerate the other when they meet each other in a meeting  or social function,” says observers.   No Jatiyo  Party  or Gono Forum  candidate is still heard of.

 However, a random survey shows that general, peace-loving, silent and majority of voters want “a fair and free and participatory election this time” where all  voters  will be able to cast  their   own votes spontaneously and without any poll-rigging  and chaos at the polling centres.  Contacted,  many veteran district level BNP men said, “If there is a fair election  this time, unlike the one  on January5, 2014’, AL   candidates will suffer defeat and lose all the seats in Chandpur district   with a big margin of votes as seen in 2001 and 2005 elections.”

 

Nomination seekers wooing voters for JS polls

There are five constituencies in eight Upazilas of Chandpur district. With the start of the new year, as the days of the coming poll are drawing nearer, the probable ruling party candidates for the coming national poll are becoming active. Some of them are gearing up their public and social contacts to contest in their own constituencies. But the BNP, JP and other party nomination seekers are yet to get started. They have not even managed to put up posters in weekly markets (haats) and local bazaars to announce their aspiration for nomination. A random survey shows that new faces of the ruling party want to replace the old ones who have already served two or three terms as MPs and have, thus, had a taste of the fruits of doing politics. They think, old order changes giving place to the new faces. They believe the new and young leaders can render better services to the people in the challenging days ahead. In Chandpur-1 constituency, (Kochua), former NBR Chairman and Secretary Golam Rahman is a new face in politics at the grass-root level. He has been working here for the last 6/7 months and in the Kochua belt. He officially joined the AL hardly two months ago. He has arranged several meetings and is contacting people and party workers with a view to contesting the next general election as an AL candidate from Kochua. He told The Independent that he had so far encountered many obstacles and faced more than 12 unexpected attacks by his rivals while campaigning for and under the banner of many social programmes. Sitting MP and former Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir is also actively working in Kochua with an eye on the candidacy in the next general election. Contacted, Golam Hossain told this correspondent, I am optimistic about getting nomination from AL. JP candidates Dr Shahidul Islam (former Chairman of Chandpur Zila Parishad) and former JP leader Rafiqul Islam Ronis wife are yet to gear up their activities to get nominations in Kochua. Former State Minister for Education A N M Ehsanul Huque Milon, who eradicated the use of unfair means in public exams and exam halls in Kochua and other places, is not active either. But his party leaders and workers have quietly begun making preparations. Veteran BNP men and activists say they will burst on the scene like Royal Bengal Tigers when the time comes. In Chandpur-2 constituency, (Matlab South and Matlab North Upazilas), Mofazzol Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram, MP, is active in his electoral areas. He goes there every weekend and keeps in close touch with the electorate and his party worker. His son, his political aides, and activists are also busy preparing the ground. Dr Jalaluddin Ahmed seems to be the likely BNP candidate. Some BNP activists and workers say, We are ready to contest the coming Jatiya Sangsad poll under the party banner, whoever the candidate. They claim, If the coming election is free and fair, unlike the one in 2014, we will win by a good margin defeating the AL candidate. As for the JP, Jamaat and Gono Forum, the names of their probable candidates are not being heard yet. In Chandpur-3 constituency (Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar), former foreign minister and sitting MP Dr Dipu Moni is directly seeking votes from people in all the functions she attends in Chandpur and Haimchar areas. AL central leader Sujit Roy Nandi has also been holding meetings, attending social and cultural functions and, thus, wooing voters in Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar areas as a probable candidate in the coming poll. A very new face in Chandpur politics, Redwan Khan Borhan, a central leader of the Awami Motshwajibi League and President of the Chandpur District Matswajibi League, is also a nomination-seeker from the AL to contest the coming poll in Chandpur-Haimchar areas. He has been working and contacting people for the past few months at the grass-roots level. Here there are a few probable BNP candidates to contest the coming parliamentary poll. They are Sk Farid Ahmed Manik, convener of the District BNP, ex-MP GM Fazlul Huque, and Kamaluddin Ahmed Chowdhury. But Sk Farid Ahmed is the most acceptable candidate to the party activists and rank-and-file workers because he has been organizing the party for last four to five years. If the coming poll is fair and free, he is sure to win, say veteran BNP activists. No candidate from JP is still being heard of or is seen to be active in Chandpur. From Gono Forum, Advocate Selim Akbar may stand. Bangladesh Khelafotey Andolon candidate Rokonuzzaman has formally declared his candidature for contesting in the coming poll. No independent or Jamaat candidates name is in circulation yet. For Chandpur-4 constituency, Faridganj, sitting MP Dr Shamsul Huque Bhuiyan is working as usual to retain his status as an MP in the coming poll too. His strong rivals are the BNPs ex-MP Lion Harun-or-Rashid, and noted social worker and BNP leader M A Hannan (Mercantile Bank). Jatiyo Press Club President and veteran journalist Shafiqur Rahman is also a strong contender from the ruling party for this post. He has been working tirelessly for the last few years to get nomination from the AL to contest in the coming national poll at Faridganj. His activists and men are sticking posters here and there in Faridganj projecting him. Two young leaders, former BCL leaderAdvocate Jahidul Islam Roman and Dr Harunor-Rashid Sagor are workingand wooing the voters for the election symbol Boatin Faridganj. For Chandpur-5constituency,(Hajiganj-Shahrasti), AL nomination-seekers are Prof A K M Fazlul Huque,renowned sports organizerof Kolabagan Club President Shafiqul Alam Feroze, Dhaka Power Cell DG Md Hossain,Brigadier H M Salahuddin,andrenowned indus-trialistEngineer Md Shafiqul Islam (Shahrasti ). All of them, except Fazlul Huque, took meals together in a Gono Bhoj arranged by Shafiqul Alam Feroze at ShahShaheb Jamey Masjidat Shahrastitown onAugust 15. Recently, on the occasion of the Victory Day, almost all of themwere seentogether on a stage at a discussion meeting held at Kaliapara in Shahrasti. They all seemedagainstMajor Rtd Rafique, sitting MP. After the meeting, there were slogans like Major chhara Nowka chai (We want the Boat without the Major). Major Rafique has been elected MP for three times. He was also Home Minister when AL came to powerin 1997. Advocate Noorjahan Begum Mukta (Reserved female MP ) is also a likely MP candidatefrom Hajiganj.FromNovember17 last, Major Retd Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam, MP, has already started his own campaign for contesting the coming poll. Here BNP candidates are M A Matin, exMP, Engineer MdMominul Huque and also Principal Alamgir Kabir Patwary. There has been a serious and long-standing conflict between Matin sir and Engineer Momin. One cant tolerate the other when they meet each other in a meetingor social function, says observers. No JatiyoPartyor Gono Forumcandidate is still heard of. However, a random survey shows that general, peace-loving, silent and majority of voters want a fair and free and participatory election this time where allvoterswill be able to casttheirown votes spontaneously and without any poll-riggingand chaos at the polling centres. Contacted,many veteran district level BNP men said, If there is a fair electionthis time, unlike the oneon January5, 2014, ALcandidates will suffer defeat and lose all the seats in Chandpur districtwith a big margin of votes as seen in 2001 and 2005 elections.