Dhaka Bureau: The ruling Awami League and the opposition Jatiya Party (JAPA) have started discussions on the by-elections for the five parliamentary seats left vacant due to the resignation of BNP MPs. Informal talks have been held between the two parties with a view to a strategic compromise in the by-elections of these constituencies to be held on February 1. Zapa wants concession in five seats from Awami League. However, Awami League has not yet said anything about it. According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission (EC), the last day of nomination for the by-election is January 5.
JPA Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu told the media on Sunday, “There have been some talks with the Awami League about the by-elections, and there will be more.” We got two hints in the initial discussion. The first is that every seat may be left open; Nominated candidates of any party including Awami League and Zapa can participate in it. The second is that Awami League may not nominate a candidate with the boat symbol in order to increase the power of the opposition in the parliament; In that case, anyone else, including Japa’s candidate, can win.
However, Awami League has asked those who are interested in getting party nominations for the by-elections of five parliamentary seats to collect and submit nomination forms from next Wednesday to Saturday, December 31. It has been asked to collect and submit the application forms from Dhanmondi office within the stipulated time.
Meanwhile, JPA Chairman GM Quader and General Secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu held a meeting with Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Japa’s main patron Roshan Ershad at his Gulshan residence yesterday. In the meeting, the upcoming by-elections, the founding anniversary of the party on January 1 and the ongoing disputes in the party were discussed between them. Japa General Secretary Chunnu told Ittefaq about the meeting, “There was a very cordial discussion.” We have invited him to the party’s anniversary function. He accepted the invitation. Roshan Ershad will be present at the discussion meeting organized in front of Zapa’s central office in Kakrail of the capital on the occasion of the founding anniversary.
JPA Chairman GM Quader, who has been under a temporary court ban on party decision-making since November 1, will also be present at the foundation anniversary discussion. As a result, after the death of Ershad in 2019, Roshan and GM Quader will be present together for the first time in a party function. However, GM Quader had a meeting with Roshan Ershad at the Westin Hotel in Gulshan after he returned home on November 27 after receiving treatment in Bangkok, Thailand. After that, he went to Ganabhaban with Roshan and held a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Chunnu said that although GM Kader will be present at the foundation anniversary ceremony, he may not speak on that day out of respect for the court. It is to be noted that the court has scheduled hearing on January 9 on the application made by GM Quader seeking cancellation of the ban.
Mujibul Haque Chunnu said that there was a discussion with Roshan about the by-election, “Roshan Ershad said that the party will nominate candidates according to the organizational rules of the party. He will not have any interference there. Chunnu said, however, after interviewing party nominees for five constituencies, Japa nomination board along with GM cadre will finalize the candidates in consultation with Roshan Ershad. It is to be noted that the nomination board of the party will interview the nominees of Japa in five seats on Monday.
When asked whether Roshan has proposed to nominate a specific person in the by-election, Chunnu said, ‘No, he has not said such a thing. We have said ourselves that the candidate will be finalized in consultation with him as the main sponsor of the party.
Incidentally, in the current 11th parliament, six of the seven members of the BNP party resigned from the parliament on December 11. They are Abdus Sattar, the lawyer of Brahmanbaria-2 seat, Md. Chapainawabganj-2 seat. Aminul Islam, Bogra-4 Constituency Md. Mosharraf Hossain, GM Siraj of Bogra-6 seat, Zahidur Rahman of Thakurgaon-3 seat and Barrister Rumin Farhana of reserved seat. The resignations of all six of them were accepted and on the night of December 11, the Parliament Secretariat issued a notification declaring the seats vacant.
The EC said that the list of reserved seats falling vacant after the by-elections in five seats will be announced. Harunur Rashid, another Member of Parliament from BNP, resigned on December 22. The Parliament Secretariat has already issued a notification declaring his seat vacant. The EC will announce the new schedule for the by-election in this seat.
According to some of the Roshan supporters, Roshan Ershad may bend in the end due to various reasons, even though he said this in the meeting with GM Quader and Chunnu, ‘there is no candidate of his choice and do not interfere in the by-elections’. In that case, there may be complications in the party over the nomination of candidates for the by-elections to the vacant seats. There is a strong discussion among the Roshan Panthists to nominate Ziaul Haque Mridha in Brahmanbaria-2 seat, Hafizuddin Ahmed in Thakurgaon-3 seat, Nurul Islam in Bogra-6 seat and Kazi Mamunur Rashid in one of the seats.
Among them, Ziaul Haque, who was expelled from JPA, is the former MP of Mridha Brahmanbaria-2 constituency. The court has imposed a temporary ban on GM Quader in the case that was mitigated. Japa General Secretary Mujibul Haque Chunnu told Ittefaq, “He (Mridha) is not even a primary member of the party.” How can he get nominated!’
Some of the Roshanists are in favor of Jappa’s former presidium member Kazi Mamunur Rashid as a candidate for the Brahmanbaria-2 seat in the by-election. Kazi Mamun told Ittefaq, “The seat belongs to Mridha Sahib.” So it is unreasonable to ask for my nomination there.” Recently, a general diary (GD) was filed against him in Uttara West police station for allegedly threatening to kill GM Quader. GM Quader’s personal assistant advocate Abu Taib filed a case against him in the cyber tribunal. Apart from this, Kazi Mamun and Mridha are also in the main role of creating controversy in Japan based on Roshan. Japa leaders and activists have strong objections about both of them.
Advocate Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan, presidium member of the party, was the nominated candidate of Japa in Brahmanbaria-2 constituency in 2018. He is the son-in-law of Ziaul Haque Mridha. He became a moderate independent candidate without getting party nomination in the election. Then the supporters of Mridha and Rezaul protested in turn. Later, BNP’s lawyer Abdus Sattar won the election there. It is known that this time too there is tension between Roshan Ershad and GM Quader’s circle regarding Mridha and Rezaul.
