Dhaka Bureau: The Awami League’s Parliamentary Nomination Board’s two-day meeting has finalized candidates for four categories. Sources at the meeting said that the controversial 25 MPs were left out. Three issues are being given importance in finalizing the single candidate nominated by the party. These are the roles of skilled, highly educated, and Corona eras in building a smart Bangladesh. Collecting nomination papers from two or more members of the same family is also at the root of the apprehension of exclusion in the three categories. There are about 20 such seats. 36,000 candidates from the Awami League vied for 300 seats in the 12th National Parliament election. The Awami League Parliamentary Nomination Board meeting began on Thursday to finalize the single candidate nominated by the party.
According to sources, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury was selected as a candidate for Rangpur-6 constituency in the meeting chaired by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina. When Sheikh Hasina gave up the seat in the previous two elections, she was elected in the by-election. Candidates for the Rajshahi and Khulna divisions were finalized on Thursday. 12 current members of Parliament were excluded. Candidates for the Khulna and Barisal division parliamentary seats were finalized at the Awami League parliamentary board meeting at the Ganobhaban on Friday. It is reported that 13 current members of parliament from these two divisions have dropped out. However, no member of the nomination board is opening up about who has been eliminated. In the 2018 11th National Parliamentary Election, 56 MPs and Ministers were deprived of nomination. According to party sources, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold discussions with 3362 candidates before announcing party nominations. This exchange meeting will be held at Ganabhaban tomorrow, Sunday, at 10 a.m.
After the nomination board meeting yesterday at the political office of the Awami League president in Dhanmondi, party general secretary Obaidul Quader said, ‘BNP will not come to the election; it cannot be ruled out. They still have a chance to come to the polls. Maybe BNP will not come as a party or alliance. Many people from the BNP are preparing for elections. We have news—many of them will run as candidates. At the last moment, a lot depends on what stage it goes to. He said that nominations in four categories have been finalized. I will be able to announce the final candidates for 300 seats by Sunday, if not on Saturday. Some of the current parliament members of the Awami League are also dropping out of the election race. On the other hand, the young age is ahead, which is more acceptable to the people, and that matter has been given the most priority or importance in the selection of candidates. Those who are not winable-electable have lost acceptance with the people; they are left out. It has been applicable to all candidates, male and female. However, we have not excluded winnable candidates. Obaidul Quader said, ‘When we announce the name of the department, the crowd increases; when we hear the specific department, the pressure starts. How to find the name That’s why I am not announcing the name of the department.’ Obaidul Quader said, ‘We are not specifying the nomination now because there may be mistakes in the nominations of all the candidates we have given. I left a chance to correct that too. Therefore, we have decided not to announce candidates separately, district- or division-wise. I would like to announce the candidacy of 300 seats together.’ Regarding the nomination of cricketer Shakib Al Hasan from the Awami League, the Awami League General Secretary asked how many heroes and heroines are MPs in India’s West Bengal. They don’t party directly. even in a large democratic country like India. And Shakib Al Hasan will do politics and serve the people. He can stand in the election from any part of Bangladesh. In response to a question, Obaidul Quader said that there is no desire to bring an unpopular candidate from another party to run in the election. Be it the alliance partner or whoever, the boat will be given based on its popularity. That’s how we select candidates. It has been reported that the Awami League Parliamentary Nomination Board meeting will be held again on Saturday.
Meanwhile, father and son have collected nomination forms in several places in fear of being left out in the three categories. Presidium member and former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury (Maya) and his elder son Sajedul Hossain Chowdhury (Dipu) are members of the Executive Committee of the Dhaka Metropolitan South Awami League from Chandpur-2 (Matlab South-Matlab North) constituency. Thakurgaon-2 (Baliadangi-Haripur) and Pabna-4 (Ishwardi-Atgharia) constituencies collected the highest number of nomination papers from the same family. District Awami League president Dabirul Islam, his son, Mezo brother, and nephew have collected the nomination papers of four Awami League candidates for party nomination in Thakurgaon. Dabirul’s elder son and district Awami League organizing secretary principal Mazharul Islam Sujan, the leader’s younger brother, upazila Awami League president and former upazila chairman Mohammad Ali, and nephew Baliadangi upazila parishad chairman and upazila Jubo League general secretary Ali Aslam Jewel, have also submitted nomination papers. Four Awami League nominees, including two sons and a daughter and the son-in-law of the late former member of Parliament Shamsur Rahman Sharif Dilu, are seeking party nominations in the Pabna-4 constituency. The family’s eldest daughter, Mahjebin Shirin Pia, two sons, Ghalibur Rahman Sharif and Sakibur Rahman Sharif, and son-in-law Abul Kalam Azad Mintu, collected and submitted the nomination form for the Awami League. Three brothers have submitted nomination papers for the Awami League to be candidates for parliament in Cox’s Bazar-3 (Sadar, Ramu, and Eidgaon) constituencies. They are the current MP of the constituency, Saimum Sarwar Kamal, his elder brother and chairman of Ramu Upazila Parishad, Sohel Sarwar Kajal, and their younger sister, former organizing secretary of the district Awami League, Nazneen Sarwar Kaveri. Three sons of the late Member of Parliament (MP) Afaz Uddin Ahmed bought party nomination papers from the Awami League to be candidates for the Kushtia-1 (Daulatpur) seat. The three brothers who want to be candidates for the boat are Afaz Uddin Ahmed’s elder son Nazmul Huda Patal Biswas, Mezzo’s son Arif Ahmed Biswas, and his younger son Advocate Ejaz Ahmed Mamun Biswas, Chairman of Daulatpur Upazila Parishad.
Father and son bought party nomination papers from the Awami League to become boat candidates from Jessore-2 (Jhikargacha and Chougacha) constituencies. The father and son are Rafiqul Islam, the former state minister of the Ministry of Electricity, Energy, and Mineral Resources, and his son Mustafa Ashish Islam, a member of the Jessore District Awami League. The same happened in Comilla-1 (Daudkandi-Titas) constituency. Candidates for nomination from here are Member of Parliament Subid Ali Bhuiyan and his son, Major Mohammad Ali Sumon, Chairman of Daudkandi Upazila Parishad. Another younger brother has sought nomination in the seat of a younger brother of the late Colonel Taher, the one-time spiritual leader of Jasd. Former Vice-Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, Professor Anwar Hossain, collected the nomination papers for Netrokona-5 Constituency (Purbadhala Upazila). His younger brother, Waresat Hossain Belal, is the current Member of Parliament for this constituency. There are also cases where the father himself went to the party office with his son and submitted the nomination papers to get his son nominated for his seat. Dhaka-7 Constituency MP Haji Salim went to the central office of the Awami League to submit the nomination papers of his son, Mohammad Solaiman Selim, on Tuesday.
