Members of the same families contest in 36 constituencies

Members from the same families are contesting in the 12th parliamentary polls as candidates of different parties in at least 46 constituencies. Of them, members of the same 17 families are running for the polls in at least 35 constituencies.

In some of these families, spouses, siblings or close relatives are contesting against each other as candidates of different parties. And in some 11 constituencies, offspring of Awami League leaders have got the symbol of boat for the first time.

In all, 23 incumbent MPs are from these families. Families of the leaders from three parties, including the Jatiya Party (JaPa), have become candidates in eight electoral seats.

According to political analysts, dynastic politics has gradually grown big at the grassroots as well. This is the result of lack of democratic practices within the political parties, person-centred politics, and lack of trust, they say.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, writer and researcher Mohiuddin Ahmad said family supremacy is everywhere in the politics of Bangladesh. The ruling party is not alone, even the politics of opposition parties circle around a single family. Due to this family centric politics, the practice of free competition is absent in the politics of Bangladesh.

Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury, chief whip of the parliament, is running from the Madaripur-1 constituency as an Awami League candidate. His brother Mojibur Rahman Nixon is contesting the polls from the Faridpur-4 constituency independently. Their father Ilias Ahmed Chowdhury was an MP and president of Madaripur district Awami League.

Barishal district Awami League president Abul Hasanat Abdullah is the Awami League nominated candidate in the Barishal-1 constituency. He was elected MP four times. His son Sadiq Abdullah, Barishal city Awami League general secretary and former mayor failed to secure the nomination of the ruling party from the Barishal-5 constituency. Now he is running for the polls as an independent candidate. However, his candidacy has been challenged and a hearing over this issue is scheduled to be heard in a full High Court bench on 2 January.

Two brothers – Sheikh Helal Uddin and Sheikh Salauddin will take part in the polls with nomination from the ruling from the Bagerhat-1 and Khulna-2 constituencies respectively. They both are members of district Awami League unit. Sheikh Sharhan Naser Tonmoy, son of Sheikh Helal is also running for the polls as a ruling party candidate from the Bagerhat-2 constituency. He is the incumbent MP of this constituency.

Tanvir Hasan, an incumbent MP from the Tangail-2 constituency has secured the nomination of the ruling party again from that constituency. He is the son-in-law of Awami League presidium member and former minister Shahjahan Khan.

The Awami League has nominated Sultanan Nadira from the Barguna-2 constituency. He is a cousin of veteran ruling party leader Amir Hossain Amu, who is a member of the party’s advisory council and is contesting the polls from the Jhalokathi-2 constituency.

Another member of the advisory council of the ruling party, Tofael Ahmed has been nominated once again by the Awami League in the Bhola-1 constituency. His son-in-law Md Touhiduzzaman is an Awami League candidate from the Jashore-2 constituency. He is a physician by profession. The Awami League candidate from the Bhola-2 constituency, Ali Azam is the nephew of Tofael Ahmed.

Awami League candidate from the Kishoreganj-1 constituency is contesting with his brother Major General (rtd) Syed Safayetul Islam, who is taking part in the port as an independent candidate. The both are the children of the first interim president of the country, late Syed Nazrul Islam. Former Awami League leader Syed Ashraful Islam was their elder brother. The main contest will between these two siblings.

In Narayanganj, two brothers will take part in the polls as candidates of two different parties. Selim Osman is running for the polls as a JaPa candidate. He is the incumbent MP in that constituency. His brother Shamim Osman is contesting the polls from the Fatullah-4 constituency with Awami League’s nomination again.

Awami League presidium member Mosharraf Hossain is the incumbent MP of the Chattogram-1 constituency. He is not running for the polls this time due to age-old complications. His son has secured the AL nomination this time in place of replacing him. He is involved in film businesses.

Son of another veteran Awami League leader and treasurer of the party HN Ashikur Rahman Rashek Rahman has become the ruling party candidate in the Rangpur-5 constituency. He is a member of Awami League’s promotion and publication sub-committee. He is also a member of Rangpur district Awami League.

Khadizatul Anwar, daughter of former MP late Rafiqul Anwar has secured the ruling party nomination from the Chattogra-2 constituency. She is a MP from the reserved seats in the current parliament.

In the Dhaka-7 constituency, Haji Selim’s eldest son Sulaiman Selim will take part in the elections as the Awami League nominated candidate. Apart from handling family business, he was also involved in his father’s political activities.

Awami League candidate from the Faridpur-2 constituency, Shahdab Akbar Chowdhury is the son of former deputy leaders of the parliament, late Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury. He was also the ruling party candidate from this constituency in the by-polls held on 5 November.

Awami League candidate in Mymensingh Sadar Mohit Ur Rahman’s father Matiur Rahman served as both general secretary and president of Mymensingh city Awami League for a long time.

Ruling party candidate in the Habiganj-2 constituency, Moyez Uddin Sharif is the law affairs secretary of Habiganj district Awami League. This is the first time he is running for the polls. His father, late Md Sharif Uddin was the MP from this constituency and also the president of district Awami League.

Incumbent parliament MP Dabirul Islam’s son Mazharul Islam is the AL candidate from the Thakurgaon-2 constituency this time. He is the organising secretary of Thakurgaon district Awami League. His cousin Ali Aslam is contesting the polls in this constituency independently. Ali Aslam is the general secretary of Baliadangi upazila Jubo League. He resigned from the post of upazila parishad chairman to take part in the 12th national polls. Nurunnahar Begum, cousin of Mazharul and Ali Aslam, is the JaPa nominated candidate in this constituency.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Ali Reaz, distinguished professor of the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, says family members of the leaders are being given space by dint of power due to the lack of democratic practices in the political parties.

He told Prothom Alo that as the bureaucrats and businesspersons are attached to power in the existing political system, they are getting nominations too. A few consecutive free and fair elections and institutional practices within parties would stop this propensity of dynastic politics.

Husband and wife contesting in two seats from JaPa

JaPa chairman GM Quader is taking part in the election from the Rangpur-3 constituency. His wife Sherifa Quader is an incumbent MP from the reserved seats. She will be contesting the polls as a JaPa candidate from the Dhaka-18 constituency.

In the Rangpur-1 constituency, JaPa candidate and former MP Hossain Mokbul Shahriar is the nephew of GM Quader. The JaPa candidate in the Nilphamari-4 constituency Adelur Rahman is the son of GM Quader’s sister. Adelur is also the president of the district JaPa unit.

JaPa co-chairman and former secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlader and his wife Nasrin Jahan are running for the polls from the Patuakhali-1 and Barishal-6 constituencies respectively as JaPa candidates. The 26 constituencies compromised by the ruling party include these two seats.

Three brothers in Tangail running for the polls again

Krishak Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddique has become a candidate from the Tangail-8 constituency. His brother and former Awami League minister Abdul Latif Siddique is contesting the polls from Tangail-4 as an independent candidate. Their brother Murad Siddique is an independent candidate from Tangail-5.

Bangladesh Tarikat Federation president Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari was elected MP from the Chattogram-2 constituency for three consecutive terms as a candidate of the alliance led by the Awami League. Failing to secure the nomination from the alliance, he is contesting from his own party this time. However, his nephew Syed Saifuddin Ahmad Maizbhandari is his biggest challenge in the polls. Saifuddin is the president of newly formed Bangladesh Supreme Party.

Gaibandha district Awami League organising secretary Shah Sarwar Kabir and his wife are taking part in the polls from the Gaibandha-2 constituency as independent candidates. Former MP Abdur Rahman Bodi’s wife has secured the nomination from the ruling party from Cox’s Bazar-4. Abdur Rahman Bodi was convicted in a corruption case. Later, he appealed to the High Court against the verdict, which is still under trial.

Former election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain told Prothom Alo, “It seems as if the electoral process has turned into a dynastic system where the sons or daughters or the daughters-in-law are taking the position of the father.”