Sagar Biswas :
Discontent prevails among the components of Awami League-led 14-party alliance centering the ruling party’s ‘go alone’ policy in selecting candidates for the upcoming Union Parishad elections starting from March 22.
There is widespread allegation that Awami League has posted its own candidates in most of the UPs ignoring temperament of its alliance partners. Not only that, the AL also did not discuss the ‘issue’ with the 14-party components and never mentioned them what would be the ‘policy’ in the battle of ballot, it is also alleged.
Several component leaders have feared that the AL – led alliance would embrace unwanted situation for not giving chance to the alliance partners in the polls. The Workers Party of Bangladesh openly expressed their apprehension in this regard.
Some of the 14-party alliance partners have already lodged written complaints to the Election Commission alleging that tolerance and practice of democracy inside ruling alliance are now at zero level.
“The AL doesn’t want to sacrifice in any segment. They believe in unparallel leadership…. It is hampering atmosphere of fair election, in which way they are threatening opponent contenders,” General Secretary of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD Sharif Nurul Ambia said.
“In fact, the AL has cornered all other candidates, even the contenders of its own alliance,” he claimd.
In the meanwhile, about 80 AL candidates are going to elect in the posts of ‘Chairman’ without any contest as there is no opponent candidate to fight them.
Of them, there is not a single Chairman candidate of any party at 34 UPs in Bagerhat district and 12 UPs in Madaripur district in the first phase of election. Besides, after submission of nomination papers in 13 UPs for the second phase of election, there is no other opponent candidate except AL men.
In this backdrop, Secretary General of Tarikat Federation M A Awal said, “It is not the BNP, rather we are facing AL in the grassroots level. And for that reason, our candidates are withdrawing their candidatures in different centers…..We don’t think it will be fruitful, if there is an alliance only in the central level.”
Interestingly, the situation is different in BNP-led 20 party alliance where the partners are trying to face the situation collectively. Acting Secretary General of BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir recently said that the alliance would jointly work in favour of ‘single’ candidates.
“The 20-party alliance has decided to take part in the UP elections and work unitedly for the alliance’s ‘single’ candidates. We believe that the government has decided to hold the polls under partisan basis as a part of their conspiracy. But the 20-party alliance will take part in the election as a part of their ongoing movement,” he also said after attending a meeting of Secretary Generals of the alliance components.
Joint Secretary General of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi recently said that about 150 ruling party men are going to be elected without any contest due to threatening of AL and partiality of Election Commission.
On the other hand, the AL leaders refuted the allegation saying that the parties would be stronger organizationally if the components participate in the polls alone. And following this technique, the AL had nominated its candidates alone in City Corporation and municipal elections, the AL leaders said.
Joint General Secretary of AL Mahbubul Alam Hanif has differed with the views. He recently told the media that everything is going in favour of AL for taking a series of development programmes in different areas. “In several areas, none shows interest to take part in election. Instead, they want victory of AL candidates. …Actually, they want win of AL contenders for their own interest,” the AL leader said.
Discontent prevails among the components of Awami League-led 14-party alliance centering the ruling party’s ‘go alone’ policy in selecting candidates for the upcoming Union Parishad elections starting from March 22.
There is widespread allegation that Awami League has posted its own candidates in most of the UPs ignoring temperament of its alliance partners. Not only that, the AL also did not discuss the ‘issue’ with the 14-party components and never mentioned them what would be the ‘policy’ in the battle of ballot, it is also alleged.
Several component leaders have feared that the AL – led alliance would embrace unwanted situation for not giving chance to the alliance partners in the polls. The Workers Party of Bangladesh openly expressed their apprehension in this regard.
Some of the 14-party alliance partners have already lodged written complaints to the Election Commission alleging that tolerance and practice of democracy inside ruling alliance are now at zero level.
“The AL doesn’t want to sacrifice in any segment. They believe in unparallel leadership…. It is hampering atmosphere of fair election, in which way they are threatening opponent contenders,” General Secretary of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD Sharif Nurul Ambia said.
“In fact, the AL has cornered all other candidates, even the contenders of its own alliance,” he claimd.
In the meanwhile, about 80 AL candidates are going to elect in the posts of ‘Chairman’ without any contest as there is no opponent candidate to fight them.
Of them, there is not a single Chairman candidate of any party at 34 UPs in Bagerhat district and 12 UPs in Madaripur district in the first phase of election. Besides, after submission of nomination papers in 13 UPs for the second phase of election, there is no other opponent candidate except AL men.
In this backdrop, Secretary General of Tarikat Federation M A Awal said, “It is not the BNP, rather we are facing AL in the grassroots level. And for that reason, our candidates are withdrawing their candidatures in different centers…..We don’t think it will be fruitful, if there is an alliance only in the central level.”
Interestingly, the situation is different in BNP-led 20 party alliance where the partners are trying to face the situation collectively. Acting Secretary General of BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir recently said that the alliance would jointly work in favour of ‘single’ candidates.
“The 20-party alliance has decided to take part in the UP elections and work unitedly for the alliance’s ‘single’ candidates. We believe that the government has decided to hold the polls under partisan basis as a part of their conspiracy. But the 20-party alliance will take part in the election as a part of their ongoing movement,” he also said after attending a meeting of Secretary Generals of the alliance components.
Joint Secretary General of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi recently said that about 150 ruling party men are going to be elected without any contest due to threatening of AL and partiality of Election Commission.
On the other hand, the AL leaders refuted the allegation saying that the parties would be stronger organizationally if the components participate in the polls alone. And following this technique, the AL had nominated its candidates alone in City Corporation and municipal elections, the AL leaders said.
Joint General Secretary of AL Mahbubul Alam Hanif has differed with the views. He recently told the media that everything is going in favour of AL for taking a series of development programmes in different areas. “In several areas, none shows interest to take part in election. Instead, they want victory of AL candidates. …Actually, they want win of AL contenders for their own interest,” the AL leader said.
