Staff Reporter :
The BNP on Monday started handing over nomination letters to the candidates for contesting in the upcoming general election scheduled for December 30.
The party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir formally started the distribution of the letters at around 3:00pm in the party Chairperson’s Gulshan office in the capital.
The nomination papers of Begum Khaleda Zia for Bogura-6 and 7 and Feni-1 constituencies were received by the party leaders on behalf of Khaleda Zia, who is now in jail.
Bogura district BNP President Saiful Islam collected nomination paper on behalf of the party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for Bogura 6 and Chairperson’s Advisor Helaluzzaman Talukder collected nomination paper for Bogura-7 on behalf of Khaleda Zia from the party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
While handing over nomination letters of the party chairperson, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir broke down in tears as he lamented absence of Begum Khaleda Zia.
He could not deliver speech for two minutes due to tear.
Mirza Fakhrul said, “She (Khaleda Zi) is a victim of the vengeance of the government. The government sent Khaleda Zia in jail with false and fabricated cases.”
“May Allah help her (Khaleda) to come out from jail so that she could take part in the election and work for establishing people’s rights,” he said after handing over the nomination letters of Khaleda Zia.
Party Secretary General then handed over nomination letters to Barishal division’s candidates. BNP Joint-Secretary General Mojibar Rahman Sarwar took the first nomination paper for Barishal-5.
It is the first time that the party is going to polls keeping its chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in jail.
The BNP leader said, “We have given single candidates in those seats where the senior leaders will contest. The dual candidacy has been announced in those seats where junior leaders are fighting. One candidate from each constituency will be withdrawn later.”
The secretary general said, the Election Commission has failed to create a level playing field yet.
“The election will be controversial as the CEC is biased,” said Mirza Fakhrul.
“The EC said that ‘the polls will be fair if police want that’. It means if police do not want, the election will not be fair. We are participating in the polls as a part of our on going movement to free our party chief Khaleda Zia from jail and restore democracy in the country,” he said.
BNP senior leaders said that Jatiya Oikyafront may announce their candidates name today.
They said also they have finalised the list of their party candidates. they said the BNP standing committee decided to share nearly 10 seats with Gano Forum, three each with Nagorik Oikya, JSD and Krishak Sramik Janata League while 40 seats with the 20-party alliance partners.
The candidates who got nomination letters on Monday, are Jahir Uddin Swapan and Abdus Sobhan (Barishal-1), Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Sharfuddin Ahmed Santu and Shahidul Haque Jamal (Barishal-2), Advocate Zainul Abedin and Selima Rahman (Barishal-3), Mejbah Uddin Farhad and Rajib Ahsan (Barishal-4), Mujibur Rahman Sarwar and Ebaidul Haque Chand (Barishal-5), Abul Hossain Khan and Prof Abdur Rashid Khan (Barishal-6),Shahjahan Omar and Rafiqul Islam Jamal (Jhalakati-1), Ishrat Jahan Elen Bhutto and Jeba Rahman (Jhalakati-2), Ruhul Amin Dulal and Shahjahan Mia (Pirojpur-3), Matiur Rahman Talukdar and Nazrul Islam Mollah (Barguna-1), Nurul Islam Moni (Barguna-2), Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Suraiya Akhter Chowdhury (Patuakhali-1), Shahidul Alam Chowdhury and Salma Alam (Patuakhali-2), Hasan Mamun and Md Shahjahan (Patuakhali-3), ABM Mosharaf Hossain and Moniruzzaman (Patuakhali-4), Hafiz Ibrahim and Rafiqul Islam (Bhola-2), Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Kamal Hossain (Bhola-3) and Nazimuddin Alam and Nurul Islam Nayon (Bhola- 4), BNP announced no candidate for the Bhola-1 constituency as the party will share it with Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Party chairman Andaleev Rahman Partho.
Saleque Chowdhury/Mustafizur Rahman (Nogaon-1), Shamshuzzoha Khan/Khaza Najibullah, (Nogaon-2), RabiulAlamBulet/ParvejArefin Siddique (Nogaon-3),
In Rajshahi division: ShamshulAlamPramanik/Ekramul Bari Tipu (Nogaon-4), Jahidul Islam Dulu/Nazrul Haque Moni (Nogaon-5) , Alamgir Kabir/Sheikh Rezaul Islam Rezu ( Nogaon-6), Aminul Haque/Mizanur Rahman Minu/Shaheed Hasan (Rajshahi-1), Matiur Rahman Mantu/Shahidul Islam Milon (Rajshahi-3), Abu Hena/Abdul Gafur (Rajshahi-4),
Nadim Mostafa/Nazrul Islam Mandal (Rajshahi-5), Abu Sayeed Chan (Rajshahi-6).
