Awami League’s heavyweight candidates may lose their seats in alliance games!

  • Searajul Islam Siraj, Special Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Photo: barta24.com

Photo: barta24.com

Awami League's heavyweight candidates can also lose their constituencies in the grand coalition equation. It is said that the alliance maker is going to give concessions to the senior leaders of the Jatiya Party by rearranging the seats.

Those whose seats are being discussed are the State Minister for Relief Enamur Rahman elected from Dhaka-19 (Savar). KM Rahmatullah elected from Dhaka-11 (Bada, Rampura and Bhatara)Dr. Md. Ali Arafat elected from Dhaka-17. There are strong rumors of the seats being ceded to the Jatiya Party as part of a secret deal.

বিজ্ঞাপন

Jatiya Party co-chairman and former minister Kazi Feroze Rashid was elected from Dhaka-6 (Wari-Gendaria-Sutrapur) constituency in the past 10th and 11th Jatiya Sangsad (JS). Now Awami League is unwilling to give up that seat. Awami League wants to field former mayor Saeed Khokon in that seat. As part of the compromise, discussions are going on regarding the selection of Feroze Rashid from Savar. Kazi Feroz Rashid's garden house is located at Kabirpur in Savar.

Complications have also arisen over the seat of Salma Islam MP, the co-chairman of the Jatiya Party and the chairman of the Jamuna Group, a famous donor of the party. Salma Islam MP's seat Dhaka-1 (Dohar-Nawabganj) has been in a tug-of-war since the 2018 election. Beximco Group chairman Salman F Rahman was elected MP after defeating Salma Islam in that election. Later, Salma Islam became an MP in reserved quota. This time discussion is going on about Dhaka-11 seat as an alternative for Salma Islam where Jamuna Group Head Office and Jamuna Future Park are located. KM Rahmatullah is the current JS member of that seat.

Complications have also been reported regarding the seats of Senior Co-Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Co-Chairman Former Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader. Senior Co-Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud has been elected MP from Chattogram-5 Constituency in the past few parliaments. Awami League does not want to leave that seat for various reasons. There is a heavyweight candidate, former Zilla Parishad chairman MA Salam. Former JP General Secretary ABM Ruhul Amin Howladar was elected from Patuakhali-1 constituency in 2014. Despite the secret agreement in 2018, there remained the Awami League candidate. And Ruhul Amin Howladar was defeated. Awami League's organizing secretary Afzal Hossain was elected MP in the by-election held recently in that seat.

Apart from complications with Awami League, there are still some crises in Jatiya Party's internal affairs. The crisis of Rowshan Ershad's preferred candidates in the government's good book. Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader is unwilling to give concessions to pro-Rowshan leaders. Hussain Muhammad Ershad has repeatedly been elected MP from Jatiya Party stronghold Rangpur-3 constituency. After Ershad's death, Rowshan's son Rahgir Al Mahi Saad Ershad was elected MP from the seat. Party chairman GM Quader is keen on the election to the seat. On the other hand, Rowshan Ershad is also determined to keep his son. There was a tug of war over the issue during the by-elections as well. Dhaka-17 (Gulshan, Baridhara and Cantonment) constituencies have been kept on the negotiation table as part of the compromise. From here he won in 2008 as a candidate of Grand Alliance. The current chairman of the party may vacate the seat.

The issue of seat compromise is going on with strict secrecy. A high-level team is said to be working on it. Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu told Barta24.com that the matter is neither completely true nor false. I can't comment more than that at the moment.

In addition to these constituencies of senior leaders, there is a severe crisis of confidence among Jatiya Party leaders. Jatiya Party feels that Awami League has not kept any of its promises in the elections of 2008, 2014 and 2018. They have been wronged in many ways. From by-elections, upazila parishads to unions, concessions were not given anywhere. JP candidates have been forced withdraw many times. For that reason, they have considerable doubts about how much they will keep their promises this time. That's why Jatiya Party wants to make sure first and then make a decision. They want to be sure by any means so that Awami League can no longer break its promises.

The schedule of the 12th JS elections was announced on November 15. Jatiya Party wants to think about the election question. Want to delay and see if anything else happens. The party is also keeping an eye on the running of America in particular. Despite selling nomination forms, the party is still stepping on both sides. Many are seeing signs of the 2014 election. Hussain Muhammad Ershad suddenly announced his withdrawal from the election after filing his nomination in 2014. But 87 candidates under the leadership of Rowshan remained in the election despite disobeying that order. Rowshan Ershad announced to participate in the election this time.