Ruling Awami League (AL) leaders should solve their internal rivalry as opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is very active to recover the Jhenaidah-4 constituency once again from the AL.
The seat comprising Kaliganj and part of Jhenaidah Sadar upazila has a municipality and 15 unions with 281,621 voters, including 139,846 women.
Abdus Sattar of Jatiya Party (JP) was elected lawmaker from the seat in 1986. BNP lawmaker Shahiduzzaman Beltu was elected from the seat on February 15 in 1991 and once again on June 2 of the year and lastly in 2001. The seat went to AL candidate Abdul Mannan in 2008 and Anwarul Azim Anar in consequent two terms in 2014 and 2018.
Incumbent lawyer Anwarul Azim Anar, the general secretary of ruling AL in Kaliganj, is hopeful about winning the seat once again.
Some of his followers said he has been keeping contact with central AL leaders to get support for him in the next JS polls to be held early next year. Anar had completed a number of development projects like road, culvert, bridge, construction of academic buildings, stadium, nationalization of schools and Muktijoddha Complex in his constituency in his two tenures. He often moves here and there without any police escort.
The AL supporters believe the party leaders will consider his nomination to ensure develop the constitution for the devoted leader once again.
“As I am working restlessly for the development in the constituency round the clock since long, the supreme leader will bless him putting her hands on his head,” Anar said.
He is hopeful to make state owned Mobarakganj Sugar Mills, a losing concern for a couple of decades, a profitable one.
Anar is hopeful to establish rail communications, a medical college, a textile college in Jhenaidah so that the students of Jhenaidah could build up themselves at textile engineers and undertake other development programmes.
Former mayor of Kaliganj municipality Mustafizur Rahman Biju, who fought for the seat in the last JS polls, has started mass contact in the area as a part of his campaign as he is also hopeful to get nomination for the next JS polls.
Biju said he was able to make his municipality as a class one institution with his sincere work.
Shamim Ara Mannan, wife of former lawmaker late Abdul Mannan, is hopeful to get the nomination from party chief Sheikh Hasina in view of her husband’s contribution for the party. She said if the party chief nominates her, she will win the seat and devote herself for the welfare of the people.
Name of Dhaka North Juba League leader engineer Sagar is also heard in the constituency as a possible candidate as he has been in constant contact with the locals including his fans and near and dear ones.
Saiful Islam Feroz, BNP central committee senior joint secretary, is discussed among the people of Kaliganj as he is going to seek nomination from his party if his party participates in the next JS polls.
Feroz said the government is lodging fake cases against his party activists and leaders as to prevent them from participating in the next polls.
Feroz said he will making Kaliganj and surrounding areas free from drugs, corruption and stand by the oppressed people in the area.
Senior joint secretary of the opposition BNP Abdul Hamid has been conducting campaigns at places to organize movement in favour of election under a non-party caretaker government.
He said he will establish industrial units in the locality to ensure employment for a large number of young men and women, work for ensuring basic needs of the people if he contests with the party nomination and gets elected.
Ex BNP lawmaker and party’s central committee executive member Shahiduzzaman Beltu, who was elected for four terms from the seat, is not visible in the public like other leaders. He was hopeful to get nomination as the senior leader if the party joins the polls under the present government. He has been running his campaign keeping him almost hiding, said his supporters.
Although the activities of the Jamaat E Islami are not visible in public, they have been running their campaigns among the party activists in hiding. The name of their candidate is not yet heard, but they might support and anti-AL candidate to defeat the boat symbolic in the polls, said sources.
As there is acute crisis of coordination among the ruling party leaders, Jamaat activist might lean towards to opposition candidate and it might be put the AL candidate in a difficult situation.
