Majority of 45 BNP leaders will contest in upazila polls

Although BNP decided to boycott the upcoming upazila elections, the majority of its current and former leaders who submitted nomination papers are going to contest the polls defying the party decision. However, a section of the aspirants are still undecided as to whether they would finally contest or leave out of the race. Some of the BNP leaders want to wait till Monday, the last date for withdrawing nomination papers, to decide.

This picture was gleaned upon talking with 25 candidates belonging to the BNP. Many of them think they have a good chance of doing well in the elections.

A total of 150 upazila parishad will go to polls in the first phase on 8 May. It has been learnt that at least 45 current and former leaders of BNP are vying in the first phase polls as independent candidates. But the party’s standing committee, the highest decision making body, on Monday decided to boycott the upazila polls. This message has already been conveyed to the organizational units of the party.

Most of these candidates Prothom Alo talked to are former leaders of BNP. Only a niggling number of current leaders are vying for the upazila parishad polls. Md Anowar Hossain Master is former secretary of Sarail upazila BNP and acting head master of Sarail Pilot Girls High School. He told Prothom Alo, “I was in the BNP's committee in the past and don’t currently hold any post in the party. The people want me to contest in the election, so I will run in the election.”

Nuruzzaman Laskar, general secretary of Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar upazila BNP, also submitted nomination form. He told Prothom Alo that he would withdraw his nomination paper since he is always respectful and loyal to the party’s decision.

Some candidates such as Nasirnagar upazila BNP’s former general secretary Omrao Khan are still undecided or not wanting to disclose their intention as yet.

Omrao said let’s wait till the last day of withdrawal of nomination.

In Mymensingh, Dhubaura upazila BNP’s former vice president Shamsur Rashid, BNP’s former general secretary of Fulpur pourashava Emran Hasan and Mymensingh district north unit’s former member Abdul Hamid in Haluaghat upazila have submitted nomination from their respective upazilas.

Shamsur Rashid said he did not get any post in the last committee due to internal political feud.

“I don’t have any pressure from the BNP not to contest in the election. So I will participate in the election,” he said.

Four BNP leaders have bought nomination forms to contest in the chairman post in Sylhet’s Bishwanath upazila. They are: district BNP’s former vice president Mohammad Suhel Ahmed Chowdhury, upazila BNP’s former secretary general Gous Khan, UK BNP’s assistant organising secretary Md Sebul Mia and UK BNP’s leader Sofiq Uddin.

Gous Khan told Prothom Alo, “I am still in the electoral field and my chance is good. But I am yet to decide if I will finally run in the election.”

Dinajpur Ghoraghat upazila BNP’s vice president  Sarwar Hossain and Satkhira’s Shyamnagar upazila BNP’s legal affairs secretary Masudul Alam have submitted nomination forms in their respective upazilas.
Both of them said they are loyal to the party and are now consulting with their well-wishers about not participating in the polls.

Pirojpur’s Indurkani upazila BNP’s former general secretary Mohammad Faijul Kabir Talukder is contesting in chairman post in the upazila.

Asked why is contesting in the polls flouting the party's decision, he said, “My elder brother was an upazila chairman and I was a vice chairman. I am contesting in the election due to the interest of the people.”

Two BNP leaders are contesting in Faridpur Sadar upazila parishad. They are: Sadar BNP’s president Rouf Un Nabi and former Jubo League leader KM Nazmul Islam.

Rouf Un Nabi told Prothom Alo yesterday, “BNP is being detached (from people) by not boycotting polls. I’m contesting in the election as an independent candidate.”

Nazmul Islam said, “I don’t have any bar to contest since I don’t have any post in the party.”

Sunamganj’s Shalla upazila BNP president Nagendra Chandra Sarker is contesting in the election. He is a former chairman of the Shalla upazila. Thakurgaon’s Haripur upazila BNP’s former general secretary Ismail Hossain and Naogaon’s Mahadebpur upazila BNP’s organising secretary Sajjad Hossain are also contesting from their respective upazilas. They contend that their chance to win the election is high due to rifts in the local Awami League and multiple candidates from the ruling party.

Talking to Prothom Alo, some BNP leaders said that they will vote no matter what.  Among these leaders are former general secretary of Rajshahi district Jubo Dal Sajedur Rahman Khan, former joint convener of Sherpur upazila in Jhenaigati upazila Aminul Islam, Kishoreganj district BNP’s organizing secretary Nazmul Alam, Cumilla’s Meghna upazila BNP’s convener Ramiz Uddin and Nangalkot upazila Chhatra Dal’s former president Mazharul Islam. In Chapainawabganj, former BNP leader Ashraf Hossain in Gomstapur and upazila BNP convener Babar Ali Biswas in Bholahat are contesting in the election.

BNP’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told Prothom Alo yesterday, “We talked with the leaders who submitted nomination forms. Divisional organising secretaries and leaders of district units have also asked them to withdraw candidacy. Many responded positively. I hope most of them will withdraw their candidacy. If they don’t, the party will surely make a decision.”

BNP sources said the party has sent a statement of the standing committee to the divisional organising secretaries and leaders of district units. The statement clarified the reasons for the BNP's boycott.
The statement reads that BNP has decided not to participate in the upazila elections ‘to distance it from the farce of the election staged by the illegal government’.