Party to decide role of independent candidates: AK Azad
This was the first time you took part in the polls and won. What did you go through? How was the experience?
The people of Faridpur voted for me amidst various adversities. My rival candidate (Shamim Haque), president of district Awami League, made various efforts to oust me from the race. My supporters were assaulted and were subjected to false cases. Despite all these obstructions from the rival candidate, I have won the polls by a huge margin. I am grateful to the voters for that.
You made a lot of promises during the electioneering. What do you want to do for the people in the area in the next five years?
My first commitment is to create employment opportunities for the unemployed persons and youth in the area. My second commitment is to make Faridpur free of violence and extortion. My third target is enhancing the quality of education at the primary and secondary levels. I will be trying to accomplish these commitments with help of the people of the area.
Do you have anything to say to your rival candidate?
I want to involve him in all my efforts to develop the area. I want to further strengthen the party. We will work together to fulfil the goal of the prime minister in the coming days. The prime minister will have to face a lot of challenges economically, internationally and domestically. I want to solve those problems together.
What will be your role in the parliament?
I am an Awami League activist. The prime minister herself told us who weren’t nominated by the party, to contest in the election as independent candidates. The party won’t have any objection to that. I will act as the party says. If it tells us (the independent MPs from the party) to unify, we will do so. Almost all the seats in the parliament will be occupied by the Awami League MPs then. In that case, the party will want us to join the parliament as independent MPs. The party will finalise the decision regarding the roles of the independent candidate in the parliament.
Will you be a conventional MP or somewhat different?
The people have elected me to speak for them in the parliament. I will speak in the interests of my people in the parliament, no matter even if it is unpleasant to others. I will speak in favour of the interests of the country. This will be my main target.