13th JS election: 18 former top Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders contest as Jamaat candidates

Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated 16 leaders, who previously served as president or secretary general of Islami Chhatra Shibir, for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election.

Apart from them, two former Chhatra Shibir presidents are contesting the election under the banners of two other parties. However, they too are running as candidates of the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance.

In total, 18 former top leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir are contesting this parliamentary election.

Nearly 80 per cent of Jamaat-e-Islami’s candidates in this election are new faces who have never contested a general election before. In the past, senior leadership dominated Jamaat’s electoral slate, but this time the picture is markedly different.

Alongside new faces, Jamaat has nominated a significant number of former senior leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir, some of whom have previously contested elections.

Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher served as president of Islami Chhatra Shibir in 1986 and 1987, having earlier held the post of secretary general in 1985. He is currently a central nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami. In this election, he is contesting from Cumilla-11 (Chauddagram) constituency with the daripalla (balance scale) symbol.

Former Chhatra Shibir president Md Rafiq-ul Islam Khan, now assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, served as Chhatra Shibir president in 1994 and 1995. He is contesting as a Jamaat candidate from Sirajganj-4.

In the Dhaka-12 constituency, Jamaat has nominated Md Saiful Alam, a member of the party’s executive council. He served as Chhatra Shibir president in 1983.

For Mymensingh-5, Jamaat has fielded Md Matiur Rahman Akand, secretary of its central publicity department, who served as Chhatra Shibir president in 1998 and 1999.

Md Nurul Islam Bulbul, Jamaat’s candidate in Chapainawabganj-3, was central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir in 2001 and 2002. He currently serves as the ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka South city unit.

In Sunamganj-2, Jamaat’s candidate Mohammad Shishir Monir, who previously served as secretary general of Chhatra Shibir in 2009.

Mohammad Selim Uddin, Jamaat’s candidate in Sylhet-6, was Chhatra Shibir president in 2004 and 2005. He is currently the ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka North city unit.

Md Shafiqul Islam Masud served as central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir in 2006 and 2007. He currently holds the position of secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka South city unit and has been nominated from Patuakhali-2.

In Thakurgaon-1, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is facing Jamaat candidate Delwar Hossain, a former Islami Chhatra Shibir leader who served as the organisation’s president in 2012 and 2013.

In Feni-3, Jamaat has nominated Mohammad Fakhruddin, a former central Chhatra Shibir leader and president in 2011, against BNP vice-chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo.

In Lakshmipur-3, Jamaat’s candidate Md Rezaul Karim is contesting against BNP joint secretary general Md Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anne. Rezaul Karim served as Chhatra Shibir president in 2009 and 2010.

Jamaat’s candidate in Dhaka-1, Mohammad Nazrul Islam, also previously served as Chhatra Shibir secretary general in 2001.

Ahmad Abdul Qader became president of Islami Chhatra Shibir in March 1982. In August that same year, he resigned from the organisation, alleging increased Jamaat influence over Chhatra Shibir. He is currently secretary general of Khelafat Majlish.

Ahmad Abdul Qader is contesting from Habiganj-4 as a candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, using the Wall Clock symbol.

Meanwhile, Mojibur Rahman (Monju) served as Chhatra Shibir president in 2003 and as secretary general in 2002. After completing his term as Chhatra Shibir president, he joined Jamaat politics and later served as a member of the Dhaka city Majlish-e-Shura.

In May 2020, AB Party emerged under the leadership of Monju and others. He is currently the party’s chairman. AB Party is a partner in the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance, and Monju is contesting from Feni-2 constituency with the Eagle symbol.

Among the former Chhatra Shibir leaders nominated by Jamaat this time, the three youngest are Md Rashedul Islam, Salahuddin Ayyubi and Mobarak Hossain.

Md Rashedul Islam, Jamaat’s candidate in Sherpur-1, served as central president of Islami Chhatra Shibir in 2022, having been its secretary general the previous year.

Salahuddin Ayyubi, Jamaat’s candidate in Gazipur-4, served as Chhatra Shibir president in 2021 and as secretary general in 2020.

Mobarak Hossain, Jamaat’s candidate in Cumilla-5, served as Chhatra Shibir central president in 2019 and as secretary general in 2017 and 2018.

Meanwhile, Jamaat’s candidate in Cumilla-10, Muhammad Yasin Arafat, served as Chhatra Shibir central president in 2017 and 2018 and as secretary general in 2016.

Commenting on the nomination of former ISlami Chhatra Shibir leaders and younger candidates, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Patuakhali-2 candidate Shafiqul Islam Masud told Prothom Alo that the party had sought to strike a balance between youth and experience in light of the prominent role played by young people during the July mass uprising.