People in euphoria over Shakib in election: BCB president
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan feels people are quite excited to have world’s best cricket all-rounder Shakib Al Hassan in the election. He said, “People there (Magura) have gone crazy since Shakib started his campaign. I think almost everyone will vote for him.”
The BCB president made the remarks in response to a query from a newsperson at his residence in Kishoreganj’s Bhairab upazila on Friday. He is contesting the polls from the Kishoreganj-6 constituency as the Awami League nominated candidate. He has been elected the MP for three consecutive terms from this constituency. He is also the president of BCB.
Asked whether he is advising Shakib regarding how to sustain on the electoral field, Nazmul Hassan said, “Shakib has an extra advantage. He has both party votes and neutral votes. These neutral votes will be a plus point for Shakib. I believe, even those who are not directly involved in politics will go to the polling centres to vote for him.”
In response to a question regarding whether Shakib will be available in cricket after the election, the BCB president said, “We have talked over this. He is supposed to continue playing till 2025.”
Speaking regarding who is likely to take over as the next BCB president, as both Mashrafi Bin Murtaza and Shakib Al Hassan have shown interest in the post, Nazmul Hassan said, “It’s tough to say. It's not appropriate to comment on this here.”
Asked about his introduction to politics and chances of winning again, he said, “I never had thought of being involved in politics. I used to think it’s an easy task. But I realised how tough politics is after getting involved. It has no compassion. I have full confidence in the people of Bhairab that they won’t take any wrong decision. They were always with Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman), his daughter (Sheikh Hasina) and my father (late president Zillur Rahman) and so will be now.”
Asked about BNP’s vote boycott and people’s interest in the polls, “The prime minister has taken up the challenge of holding a free and fair election. I believe that people will honour what she wants. A certain party is trying to stop people from going to the polling centres. I believe, the more they obstruct, the more people will go to the centres.”
Late president Zillur Rahman was the father of Nazmul Hassan. His mother Ivy Rahman, the then women’s affair secretary of the Awami League, was killed in the grenade attack on 21 August 2004. Zillur Rahman was elected MP from the Kishoreganj-6 constituency in the ninth parliamentary elections held in 2008. However, the seat went vacant after he took over as the president of the country. Later, his son Nazmul Hassan was elected MP from this constituency in the by-poll of 2009. He was re-elected MP from this constituency in the parliamentary elections of 2014 and 2018 as an Awami League candidate.