AL picks 'controversial' MPs again
Around a dozen controversial candidates received tickets from the ruling Awami League to contest the upcoming 11th parliamentary election.
Despite reservations at the grassroots, AL nominated Shamim Osman, Sheikh Afil Uddin, Ranjit Kumar Ray, Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, Showkat Hasanur Rahman, ASM Feroz, Fahmi Gulandaz, Omor Faruk Chowdhury, Manoranjan Shill, Abdul Wadud Dara and Nizamuddin Hazari again for the 30 December polls.
Fahmi Gulandaz, current member of parliament from Mymensingh-10 constituency, came into the limelight for allegedly torturing a number of people from his party and outside. It was alleged, intimidated by Fahmi, hundreds of party leaders and activists fled Mymensingh while others became politically inactive.
Dabirul Islam has been the MP of Thakurgaon-2 for the past 27 years. There has been much talk about him forcefully grabbing land from the minority community in his constituency. Allegations have been raised against his family by leaders at the grassroots for controlling party posts, recruitment-business, projects and ransom, among others.
Omor Faruk Chowdhury MP of Rajshahi-1, according to a home ministry report, is the patron of drug traders in the northern district. The illicit drugs being traded include phensedyl, heroine and yaba.
Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu MP of Barguna-1 faced controversy over his alleged involvement with recruitment, nomination, election, development, distribution of tube-wells, TR and Food for Work projects.
The AL dropped Abdur Rahman Bodi (Cox's Bazar-4) and Amanur Rahman Khan Rana (Tangail-3), but, the nomination remains in their families. Bodi's wife Shahina Akhter and Amanur's father Ataur Rahman won party tickets.
According to a Prothom Alo correspondent from Cox's Bazar, local leaders and activists are not happy with the party decision of nominating Shahina Akhter as she is a housewife and does not have even her name in any committee of the party.
Tourist town Cox’s Bazar is rife with human trafficking and yaba peddling. The AL MP, Abdur Rahman Bodi, is the chief patron of these crimes.
Administrative officials earlier said, not only Bodi, but 23 of his relatives, including his three brothers, are also involved in the illegal activities.
Bodi also tops the home ministry’s list of 79 leading human traffickers of Cox’s Bazar. He is identified by the Narcotics Control Department as the chief patron of the yaba smugglers.
MP Amanur Rahman Khan of Tangail-3 is in jail for murdering a leader of his own party.
The people, including AL leaders of the constituency, where shocked that his father Ataur Rahman got the nomination.
The local AL leaders and activists are also dissatisfied with Barguna-2 constituency's MP Showkat Hasanur Rahman. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina had said no war criminals' children would be granted nomination. The locals claim Hasanur's father Khalilur Rahman was the chairman of the peace committee at Barguna. Even so, Hasanur got the nomination.
Abu Reza Muhammad Nezamuddin who secured nomination from the Chittagong-15 constituency, along with is family is allegedly involved in Jamaat politics. The local leaders and activists claimed at different times that he never gave due consideration to the local AL men.
The Birganj upazila Awami League and its associate organisations earlier rejected Manoranjan Shill Gopal, MP at Dinajpur-1 (Birganj-Kaharol) constituency. They brought a number of allegations against him including renaming the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman college after himself, disrupting communal harmony, ignoring the local leaders and activists, helping the Jamaat-BNP candidate to win the local government election by holding campaigns against own party candidate, doing businesses over electricity, abusing power, Test Relief, Food for Work projects and such.
Chief whip of the present parliament ASM Feroz who secured nomination from Patuakhali-2 constituency earlier drew wide criticism saying at a reception at Bauphal, Patuakhali, that he would rather received cash than an award. He is known to mistreat journalists. His contesting in the election came into question as the High Court postponed a loan re-schedulement by the Sonali Bank. Earlier, the bank also had exempted him of the interest too.
Pankaj Nath who has been granted nomination at Barishal-4 constituency, and also the party general secretary there, was accused by the local Awami League and a section of its associate organisation, of torturing party men, concocting cases, corruption and so on.
The Narayanganj-4 constituency's candidate Shamim Osman has been criticised over various issues for long time. He is allegedly involved in attacks over mayor Selina Hayat Ivy who is a member of his own party too.
A number of 37 AL leaders and activists were killed over a span of 9 years in Sharsha of Jashore in internal clashes, smuggling and over business supremacy along the border. Four of the children of the party members were also allegedly killed over such issues. No one in the cases have been prosecuted. The plaintiffs alleged, most of the defendants named in the chargesheet are followers of the Jessore-1 (Sharsha) constituency's candidate SK Afil Uddin who has been patronising them for 10 years.
The AL men of Jessore-4 constituency held a press conference in Dhaka against their MP Ranajit Kumar Roy who has been selected to run again.
The member of the parliament Abdul Wadud at Puthia-Durgapur constituency in Rajshahi-5 allegedy did manpower business. Reports have been published in the media over his assests growing disproportonately after he was elected to the parliament.
Nizam Uddin Hazari, the member of the parliament at Feni-2 constituency, has established complete control over Feni. He was imprisoned for arms trade, but allegedly has been out two years and 10 months before the jail term completion.
The family of Bazlul Haque Haroon, the MP at Jhalokathi-1, amassed huge wealth in only five years. Despite several allegations of cash embazzlement, he was granted nomination too.