Seventy-seven sitting lawmakers of the Awami League have lost their party nominations for the forthcoming 12th parliamentary elections. Sixty among them chose not to contest for the vote, while 17 current MPs are now in the polling field as independent candidates after being denied party nominations.
According to Awami League sources, compared to the previous two parliamentary elections, this time, a larger number of MPs have been excluded from party nominations. Surprisingly, the exclusion rate is low among ministers who are also members of parliament and have faced accusations of corruption, irregularities, embezzlement, and abuse of power.
In certain constituencies, current members of parliament had to be replaced to introduce stars, cricketers, and former bureaucrats. Some were left out due to internal party conflicts. Several constituencies have undergone changes to accommodate central leaders and former Chhatra League leaders.
Additionally, some individuals have withdrawn from the electoral competition due to age and illness. However, in many instances, their family members have been bestowed with party nominations. In 11 seats, individuals have secured the boat symbol, which was previously held by their fathers.
In the last national election in 2018, 48 MPs were dropped, while 63 were excluded in the 2014 election, which was boycotted by the BNP.
This time, three state ministers were excluded from the Awami League's nomination. They include Minister of State for Culture KM Khalid, Minister of State for Labour Begum Mannujan Sufian, and Minister of State for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain. Zakir Hossain did not receive the party nomination but obtained independent nomination papers, only to withdraw in the end. The remaining ministers did not even attempt to contest the vote.
'Perhaps excluded because luck wasn’t on my side'
Awami League sources claim allegations of inefficiency in managing the ministry against State Minister of Labour Mannujan Sufian. In response, Mannujan Sufian told Prothom Alo on Wednesday, "I haven't engaged in any corruption, irregularities, or misconduct. Perhaps, luck wasn't on my side, leading to my exclusion." However, she expressed no intention to challenge the party's decision.
Another state minister, Zakir Hossain, faced accusations of accepting money under the guise of providing a job. The incident, involving summoning victims to the minister's official residence, physically assaulting them, and later returning the money, has stirred considerable discussion.
State Minister KM Khalid has been accused of maintaining a distance from the people, along with allegations of factionalism within the party.
Samshul Haque Chowdhury, the whip of the current parliament, is now running as an independent candidate in the Chattogram-12 constituency. He faced criticism for his vehement reaction to the 2019 crackdown on casinos and gambling. However, Samshul Haque believes he has been excluded due to various conspiracies.
Making place for influentials
In both 2008 and 2014, Awami League presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak served as an MP for Dhaka-13 constituency, even holding the position of a state minister at one point.
However, in 2018, he was excluded from candidacy for various reasons. Sadek Khan assumed the role of MP after receiving the party's nomination. In the next election, Nanak has received the party's nomination, leading to Sadek Khan stepping aside to accommodate him.
Saifuzzaman, the member of parliament for Magura-1 constituency, faced controversy due to internal conflicts within the party and other reasons. However, AL leaders believe that the primary reason for his exclusion this time is to make way for cricketer Shakib Al Hasan.
Business leader Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin secured the position of MP from Dhaka-10 constituency in a 2020 by-election. However, in less than four years, he has been withdrawn to make room for actor Ferdous.
Jaya Sengupta, the wife of late Suranjit Sengupta, has been excluded from the Sunamganj-2 seat. Awami League leaders are unable to identify a significant reason for her exclusion. Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mahmud, brother of current Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, has secured the party's nomination for this seat. Jaya Sengupta is contesting as an independent candidate.
Agha Khan assumed the role of MP for Dhaka-14 constituency following the passing of Aslamul Haque in June 2021. However, after three and a half years, Jubo League general secretary Mainul Hasan Khan has been nominated in his place. There is internal discussion within the party about Agha Khan being perceived as somewhat soft compared to dominant Mainul.
Mozaffar Hossain entered parliament for the first time in the last election, representing Jamalpur-5 constituency. However, former Chief Secretary Abul Kalam Azad has been nominated in his stead. Azad also served as the chief coordinator in the government's SDG implementation committee under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Salah Uddin Miyaji has received the nomination for the Jhenaidah-3 seat, displacing two-time MP Shafiqul Azam Khan, who served as the military secretary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from 2008 to 2011. Shafiqul Azam Khan's father was an MP for the Awami League in 1973.
In the Kishoreganj-2 constituency, former Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad has been excluded from candidacy, and retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul Kahar Akand has been nominated in his place. In addition to investigating the Bangabandhu assassination case, Kahar Akand served as the investigating officer in the cases related to the 21 August grenade attack and the BDR (now BGB) mutiny.
District Awami League president Shamim Haque has been nominated for the Faridpur-3 constituency, resulting in the exclusion of three-time MP and former minister Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain. Mosharraf has been residing outside the country for an extended period and has been inactive in parliamentary activities for the one last year. Additionally, he lost his position in the party's advisory council during the Awami League conference in December last year.
Habibe Millat, who transitioned from a medical profession to politics, received a sudden nomination for the Sirajganj-2 seat in 2014. He is the son-in-law of Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain. However, Jannat Ara (Henry) has now been nominated in place of Habibe Millat. In the 2008 elections, Jannat Ara lost the party nomination to BNP candidate Rumana Mahmud and was later appointed as the director of Sonali Bank.
Contesting as independent candidates
Murad Hasan lost both the state minister and party posts due to indecent, unethical, and highly insulting statements towards women. Consequently, he did not receive the party's nomination this time. However, he has decided to run as an independent candidate for the Jamalpur-4 seat.
Salim Uddin Tarafdar, a two-time Member of Parliament from Naogaon-3, and Muhammad Imaj Uddin Pramanak, a six-time MP from Naogaon-4, were not dropped due to any controversial activities. Tarafdar was excluded to make way for former influential secretary Sourendra Nath Chakraborty, while Imaz Uddin was dropped due to age. Despite this, both have chosen to run as independent candidates.
Pankaj Nath lost his position in the Barishal district Awami League and the party's nomination due to a conflict with a local influential political leader. Nevertheless, he is contesting independently for the Barishal-4 seat. Meanwhile, the nomination of Awami League candidate Shammi Ahmed for this seat has been canceled.
Other MPs who are running as independents after being denied party nominations include Manowar Hossain Chowdhury (Gaibandha-4), Enamul Haque (Rajshahi-4), Ranjit Kumar Roy (Jashore-4), Mir Mostak Ahmed (Satakhira-2), Sanwar Hossain (Tangail-5), Anwarul Abedin Khan (Mymensingh-9), Iqbal Hossain (Gazipur-3), Moazzem Hossain (Sunamganj-1), Abdul Majid Khan (Habiganj-2), Zafar Alam (Cox's Bazar-1).
Additionally, two members of parliament from Awami League's reserved women's seats are also contesting independently. Tahmina Begum has become an independent candidate in the Madaripur-3 constituency, while Anjum Sultana is running independently in the Cumilla-6 seat.
Initially, 71 current MPs were excluded from the Awami League's nomination. Later, six others were dropped in agreement with coalition partners. In addition, Shahjahan Omar left the BNP and joined the Awami League after being released from prison, securing a party nomination. However, Awami League's three-time Member of Parliament BH Harun was dropped from consideration.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's election rally in Sylhet on Wednesday, the party's general secretary, Obaidul Quader, addressed both independent candidates and party nominees, stating, "If you lose popularity as an MP in the area, what will we do if independent candidates enter the scene? Therefore, the honor of the boat should be maintained by the candidates of the boat."