Rebel candidates of both the Awami League and the BNP are in the race in upazila polls in different areas, defying the order of the chiefs of the two parties– Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia.
Khaleda Zia has already asked the BNP leaders to ensure the victory of the BNP-led alliance-backed candidates through fielding single candidate while Sheikh Hasina has also directed the same to her party leaders.
Polls to 83 upazilas will be held on March 15 in the third phase while 92 upazilas on March 23 in the fourth phase. The last date for nomination withdrawal of the fourth phase is today (Thursday).
BNP has been trying hard to convince the rebel candidates even at the last moment. “If any party leader defies the party’s decision breaking the discipline, action will be taken against him,” said BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed.
In Sylhet Sadar upazila, four BNP leaders submitted nomination papers for the post of chairman. In this backdrop, Khaleda Zia summoned them to Dhaka and asked the party acting secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to sit with them for negotiation. After holding meeting on Saturday, Mirza Fakhrul announced that Abul Kaher Shamim as the party-backed candidate.
The followers of Ilias Ali could not accept Shamim. They said that Shamim has been selected due to the influence of BNP Vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, who is coordinating the UZ polls in Sylhet division. BNP leader Shah Jamal Nurul Huda remains in the race defying the decision of the party high command.
In Fenchuganj and Dakshin Surma upazilas, BNP left the places for Jamaat, but BNP Sylhet district unit organising secretary Ali Ahmed and Dakshin Surma upazila president ATM Foyez are in the race, ignoring party’s request to withdraw their candidature. Ali Ahmed told The New Nation that he is not under any obligation to follow decision of the alliance. He is contesting the polls with the support of the BNP leaders and workers at grassroots level, he added. ATM Foyez’s statement is identical to that of Ali Ahmed.
Shamsher Mobin, however, expressed the hope that the rebel candidates would abide by the decision of the high command at the last moment.
The situation is same in some other upazilas of the country. Senior BNP leaders of the party are trying to field single candidates in all the upazilas to ensure victory of BNP-backed candidates.
On the other hand, the ruling Awami League has taken stern position against those who are contesting the polls defying the decision of the party’s high command.
In Sitakunda in Chittagong, the AL Chittagong north district unit on Tuesday selected SM Al Mamun as the party-backed chairman candidate in the upazila. Alongside with the selection, the party expelled three other rebel candidates– Nurul Mostafa Kamal Chowdhury, Mohiuddin Ahmed Monju and Abul Kalam Prokash Alekjander Chowdhury.
The district unit president Nurul Alam Chowdhury said they have taken the decision, as the AL leaders are in the race defying the party decision.
In Dhubaura uapzila in Mymensingh, five rebel candidates, who are running for various posts in the 3rd phase of the polls, were expelled from the party on Monday for defying the party decision. The expelled AL candidates are-Md Mujibur Rhman, and Md Maznu Miah, contesting for chairman post, and Mustafa Kamal Khan, Manjurul Haque Rubel and Johirul Haque Talukder Milon, contesting for vice-chairman post.
