There might be hard contest between the ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh nationalist Party (BNP) in Jhenaidah-3 seat comprising bordering Moheshpur and Kotchandpur upazilas.
Although the incumbent lawmaker Advocate Shafiqul Azam Khan Chanchal belongs to ruling Awami League, the seat is widely known as Jamaat-BNP spot as there is strong support for the opposition. More than one candidate from different parties will seek nomination for the seat in the next parliamentary election, said the concerned sources in the constituency. Jhenaidah -3 seat has two municipalities and 17 unions with a total of 360,920 voters.The number of women voters is 179,174.
After the independence war of 1971, Jamaat-e- Islami candidate Mojammel Haque was elected lawmaker in 1986 for the first time in the seat. BNP candidate Shahidul Islam alias Shahidul Master was elected consecutively for four terms. He was elected for the first time in the Jatiya Sangshad (JS) polls in 1991, on February 15 and June 2 in 1996 and 2001. The seat went to AL candidate Advocate Shafiqul Azam Khan Chanchal in 2008. Another AL leader Nabi Newaz bagged the seat in 2014, while, the seat once again went to incumbent lawmaker Shafiqul Azam Khan Chanchal in 2018.
Ex- lawmaker and AL leader Nabi Newaz, Ex-lawmaker of reserved women seat in the constituency industrialist Parvin Talukder Maya and AL Moheshpur upazila committee president, renowned journalist Sazzadul Islam are now the probable aspirants for nomination as people are talking much about them.
Besides, the names of ex- BNP lawmaker Shahidul Master’s son and BNP Moheshpur upazila committee president Mehedi Alam Roni, AL Jhenaidah district committee leader Azizur Rahman Advocate, Barrister Mohammad Ali, Kotchandpur upazila unit AL president and ex upazila parishad chairman Sharifun Nessa Miki, another leader Zaman Millat are also being discussed as AL candidates for the seat.
A number of local leaders including intending candidates for the JS polls for 2023 said both ruling Awami League and BNP candidates have started lobbying with the high-profile leaders in the central desk. The matter is now talk of the town in Moheshpur and Kotchandpur upazilas. Some sources said the leaders of Jamaat E Islami have been getting united to participate in the polls with new technique. But they are still not appearing in public.
Incumbent lawmaker Shafiqul Azam Khan Chanchal Advocate desires to participate in the next polls and he is running his party activities with full speed which might help him to seek votes from the grassroots level in his constituency of two upazilas. His supporters are saying Chanchal has an organized group of grassroots activists and leaders who will play role in supporting their candidate. He has been holding meetings at different places as a part of his next election campaign, the sources said.
Shafiqul Azam Khan Chanchal Advocate said he has been working for development in his constituency. He desires to establish an agriculture university and a land port in Moheshpur. Stating various development projects the lawmaker said, he had designed huge development projects for his two upazilas including road communications, educational institutions, bridges and culverts in his locality.
Ex- lawmaker and Bangladesh Awami Juba League (JL) central committee leader Nabi Newaz intending to seek nominations form Jhenaidah 3 seat said he was ready to participate in the national polls if his party considers him a suitable candidate for the border area. Nabi Newaz has been holding courtyard meeting, gathering at a number of places in villages expecting support from his voters.
Ex- principal of a college Nabi Newaz said he was encouraged by the local people including the AL leaders to participate in the JS polls as the influential leader along with his supporters have been harassing him continuously. He was able to offer a number of development projects in his area which were halted for unknown reason. Nabi Newaz said he will design a long-term planning for sustainable development of the ever-neglected people.
AL leader, AL Moheshpur upazila unit president and renowned media activist is hopeful to get the support of his “top level” command and hopeful to win. The restless leader conducting his campaign in his area ignoring rain and summer. He was widely popular as he had distributed warm clothes among the cold hit poor people of bordering Moheshpur and Kotchandpur. Sazzad is blessed by the young leaders and peace-loving people of the area, locals said.
AL senior leader and reserved women seat ex- lawmaker Parvin Talukder Maya is hopeful of getting nomination in Jhenaidah 3 seat. She visits her constituency when the election fever starts there. Maya ensured employment of huge women and men in her locality establishing a large-scale garments. She has a strong base in the grassroots.
BNP Moheshpur upazila unit president Mehedi Hasan Roni said he hopefully will seek nomination if his party participates in the polls as his father Shahidul Islam Master had done a lot of development works in the area during his tenures. He along with the common people will fight to recover the seat once again to fulfil people’s dream.
BNP Moheshpur upazila committee ex- general secretary and Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal assistant secretary, Engineer Mominul Islam might seek party nomination. He has been moving in the area and keeping close contact with the grassroots leaders. According to the BNP man, development work was completed by late BNP lawmaker Shahidul Islam Master, while no such work is still visible in the area in the last couple of years. He will build Moheshpur as a model upazila engaging himself in development activities only, he said.
Name of BNP’s central assistant information and research affairs secretary Amiruzzaman Khan Shimul is discussed at places in the area. Renowned journalist, Moheshpur Press club president Abdur Rahman might contest from the seat as the Jatiya Party (Ershad) candidate.
Both Moheshpur and Kotchandpur is widely known as the outpost of Jamaat- e- Islami. A large portion people of these two upazilas were the residents of neighboring India. Jamaat leader Mojammel Haq was elected from the seat in 1986. A number of Jamaat men bagging positions in local government elections are dominating in the locality. They have been fighting to survive hiding themselves. They might work for their leader veteran college teacher Matiar Rahman.
When this correspondent talked to a number of locals including ruling Awami league, came to know that the seat might go to BNP-Jamaat once again if the party leaders could not resolve the crisis of intra-party conflict when incumbent lawmaker Shafiqul Azam Khan Chanchal Advocate and Nabi Newaz were engaged in quarrel in public.
