Except for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), local leaders of Awami League, Awami League-led 14-party alliance and other political parties have already begun lobbying for party nomination to contest the upcoming national election from Chattogram-2 constituency.
They are also greeting the local people and wishing them on various occasions and festivals.
The BNP is focused on drumming up support for a non-partisan election-time government, but its leaders are silently preparing for the next general elections.
Though the two major political camps remain rigid on their stances over the contentious issue of polls-time administration, they are making preparations for the 12th parliamentary election.
However, the leaders of BNP and Jatiya Party and other political parties have started preparing the ground for the upcoming parliamentary elections as the next elections will be very competitive.
Therefore, the expected level of election excitement, which should have been witnessed by this time, is still missing as all the political parties are still not there in the field with their full strength.
Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari of Bangladesh Tarikat Federation has been representing his party in the National Parliament since 2014 from the Chattogram-2 constituency.
The constituency encompasses Fatikchhari Upazila.
The constituency was created for the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973.
Ahead of the 2008 general election, the Election Commission redrew the constituency boundaries to reflect population changes revealed by the 2001 Bangladesh census. The 2008 redistricting altered the boundaries of the constituency.
Mustafizur Rahman Siddiqi of the Awami League became the first Member of Parliament from the Chattogram-2 constituency in the country’s first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973.
But in the general elections, held in 1979, LK Siddiqi of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) contested the polls and won the seat.
Ainul Kamal of the JatiyaSamajtantrik Dal (JSD) contested the general elections held in 1988 and became the lawmaker from this constituency, but BNP candidate LK Siddiqi regained the seat in the general elections held in 1991.
ABM AbulKashem of Awami League contested the general elections held in 1996 and became the MP from this constituency while BNP candidate LK Siddiqi contested the general elections held in 2001 and became the lawmaker again.
In the general elections held in 2008, BNP candidate SalahuddinQuader Chowdhury contested the polls and won the seat.
Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari of Bangladesh Tarikat Federation contested the country’s two general elections in 2014 and 2018 and became the lawmaker twice.
Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari, a candidate of Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, a component of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party grand alliance, contested the December 30 election in 2018 with Awami League’s electoral symbol “boat”.
Therefore, the incumbent lawmaker Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari is confident that he will get Awami League-led 14-party grand alliance ticket this time also and contest the next general elections.
Apart from Maizbhandari, prominent lawyer Barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud, Aftab Uddin Chowdhury, member of Chattogram district unit of Awami League, ChattogramZilaParishad Chairman ATM Pearul Islam, Barrister TanjimulAlam, Khadizatul Anwar Sony and Supreme Party Chairman MawlanaSaifuddin Al Hasani Al Maizbhandari also want to contest the next general election with Awami League’s electoral symbol “boat”.
Akhtar Uddin Mahmud Parvej, member of ZilaParishad will also seek Awami League’s nomination to contest the next general elections.
Although BNP is yet to make a decision to join the next parliamentary elections, BNP leaders are silently taking preparations for the polls.
The BNP leaders and workers are contacting about the elections and looking for a way to participate in the elections.
QuaderGoni Chowdhury, assistant secretary of information and research affairs of BNP central committee and FarhatQuader Chowdhury and HummamQuader Chowdhury wife and son of executed BNP leader SalahuddinQuader Chowdhury are likely to seek party (BNP) nomination to contest the next general elections with BNP’s electoral symbol “Sheaf of Paddy”
SalahuddinQuader Chowdhury was hanged in 2015 for crimes committed against humanity in 1971.
SalauddinQuader Chowdhury led his gang of terrors in Chattogram along with the Pakistani forces into Hindu populated villages and killed at will because he thought the Hindus did not vote for his father and that Hindus were enemies of Pakistan.
He (SalahuddinQuader Chowdhury) was a lawmaker in this constituency.
Besides, Justice Faisal Mahmud Faizee, member of national executive committee of BNP will also not seek party nomination personally to contest the next general elections.
Talking to journalists he (Faisal Mahmud Faizee), said if the party high command nominates him he will contest the next general elections.
“In the 2008 general election, I had left the seat for SalahuddinQuader Chowdhury at the BNP Chairperson’s instruction. But the BNP Chairperson assured me of being nominated in the next general elections,” he said.
Physician KhurshidAlam, former army officer Azim UllahBahar Chowdhury and SarowarAlamgir are also interested in getting the BNP ticket to contest the next national elections.
Local leaders of different political parties, including the ruling Awami League and BNP have started a show of strength through meetings and mass contacts.
The nomination seekers have set up big banners and posters at the important points in the constituency, intersections of highways and roads, and on boundary walls.
Therefore, the contenders have been actively campaigning to receive their respective party’s nominations for the election.
Political activities of Jatiya Party are not visible in the constituency till date.
Sources said Jamaat leaders have been secretly campaigning for the election even though they have not hosted any public activities.
The people know the upcoming general election will be a challenge as various conspiracies are being orchestrated before the polls.
Bangladesh is to hold a general election in December this year or in January next year.
The ruling Awami League wants BNP’s participation in the next general election.
All think the next parliamentary polls will not be participatory unless BNP joins the election.
