Apart from mentioning him as a Jatiya Party nominated candidate in the 12th parliamentary elections, the party's Secretary General Mujibul Haque also referred to him in his electoral posters as a candidate backed by the governing Awami League.
This has sparked discontent among the voters and local Awami League activists as the JaPa has been contesting the polls apparently as a separate entity without joining the Awami League-led 14-party alliance.
Already an independent candidate from the Awami League has filed a complaint with the returning officer over this.
Mujibul Haque has been contesting the forthcoming elections with ‘plough’ symbol from Kishoreganj-3 constituency.
Due to the negotiations between the JaPa and Awami League over seat sharing, the ruling party has withdrawn its candidate from the Kishoreganj-3 constituency.
Karimganj upazila Awami League’s convenor Nasirul Islam Khan was the ruling party nominated candidate from this constituency.
The election campaign officially started following the allocation of symbols on 18 December. Mujibul Haque’s posters were hung after that where he has been mentioned as the ‘Awami League-backed’ candidate.
The four independent candidates from the Awami League contesting in this constituency are – New York Awami League organising secretary Md Mahfuzul Haque with 'eagle' symbol, Major (retd) Md Nasimul Haque with the 'scissors', Swechchhasebak League’s central labour affairs secretary Golam Kabir Bhuiyan with the 'kettle' and Md Rubel Mia with the 'truck' symbol.
Speaking regarding the poster of the JaPa candidate, independent candidate Golam Kabir Bhuiyan said Mujibul Haque is creating confusion by mentioning him as an Awami League candidate in his posters. The JaPa is contesting the polls alone. The number of their candidates across the country is higher than the number of ‘boat’ candidates.
“How could you represent yourself as an Awami League-backed candidate after talking so big. I have filed a complaint over this issue to the returning officer,” he added.
Local Awami League leaders and activists say that although the party has withdrawn its candidate from this constituency due to negotiations with the JaPa over seat sharing, they can’t accept that the JaPa candidate here has mentioned himself as the AL-backed candidate.
The JaPa has been occupying this constituency over the 15 years, but Mujibul Haque has done nothing for people outside his party, they claim.
The local Awami League leaders and activists further said they are being deprived due to this JaPa leader despite their party being in power for 15 years. Therefore, he won’t get the support of the party leaders and activists this time.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Ershad Uddin, member of central Awami League’s relief and welfare related sub-committee and a resident of the Karimganj upazila said, “He (Mujibul Haque) has always said that they (JaPa) are the opposition party. How could an opposition party be backed by the ruling party? He just cannot mention himself as an Awami League-backed candidate in his posters.”
Withdrawn AL candidate Nasirul Islam also reiterated Ershad Uddin’s sentiments. “This seat has been compromised based on the negotiations with the Jatiya Party. That doesn’t mean we are backing them. So mentioning himself as an ‘Awami League nominated’ candidate is completely wrong,” he expressed.
Prothom Alo repeatedly tried to reach Mujibul Haque over the phone for his comment in this regard. However, he didn’t respond.
However, Karimganj upazila JaPa president Md Delwar Hossain told Prothom Alo that as Awami League has decided to compromise 26 seats with the JaPa and withdrawn their candidates from those constituencies, there is nothing wrong in referring to him as an Awami League backed candidate. The same words were used in his posters during the last parliamentary elections as well, he added.
Speaking regarding this, district Returning Officer and Kishoreganj district Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad said he had received a complaint from an independent candidate regarding Mujibul Haque’s posters. As it is a matter between the two parties, he has nothing to do about it.
The returning officer stated that the complainant had been advised to file the complaint in writing to the Election Commission.