Upazila election: Over 50 BNP candidates in third phase too

At least 50 BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) leaders and activists are running for the third phase of the upazila elections too. Of them, 26 are contesting for the post of upazila chairman and the remaining are upazila vice-chairman candidates.

According to the election schedule declared by the Election Commission (EC), elections to some 112 upazilas will be held on 29 May in the third phase. Local BNP leaders are candidates in 23 of these upazilas.

As per the information received by Prothom Alo staff correspondents and correspondents from the office of returning officers in respective areas, there are two chairman candidates from BNP in each of the three upazilas of Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Gangachara in Rangpur, Koyra in Khulna.

They are – Rangpur district BNP’s former joint general secretary Mokarram Hossain and upazila BNP joint convener Kamruzzaman Pramanik in Gangachara upazila, upazila BNP joint convener Mohammad Anwar Hossain and upazila BNP activist Shah Md Alamgir in Fulbaria and upazila BNP activist Sheikh Abdur Rashid and upazila Chhatra Dal former organising secretary Abdur Rab in Koyra.

The deadline to withdraw nomination papers for the third phase of upazila polls ended Thursday. They are running for the polls ignoring the party decisions and contesting against each other.

Fulbaria upazila BNP unit member Shah Md Alamgir is the son-in-law of local independent MP Abdul Malek, who was the general secretary of Fulbaria upazila Awami League (AL) and served as the upazila chairman too.

Speaking regarding this, Abdul Malek Sarker told Prothom Alo, “He is doing this at the instigation of some local BNP leaders. I want him to withdraw his nomination paper.”

However, chairman candidate Shah Md Alamgir said, “I am from the eastern part of Fulbaria. I am contesting for the chairman post in response to the urge from the people of my area. I do people’s politics.”

Party sources say some 10 of the 26 BNP leaders and activists, who have submitted the nomination paper, are former leaders. Apart from that, there are nine candidates who are holding posts in the committees of different local BNP units. Besides, there are three candidates who are known to be supporters of the BNP, but aren’t part of any committee. They are - Md Rezaul Karim from Tajumaddin upazila in Bhola, Zahirul Islam from Fenchuganj in Sylhet and Ariful Islam from Dowarabazar upazila of Sunamganj.

The BNP candidates running for the chairman posts are – Cumilla Brahmanpara upazila BNP general secretary Sarker Zahirul Haque, Kurigram Bhurungamari upazila BNP general secretary AKM Faridul Haque, Narsingdi Shibpur upazila BNP joint general secretary Md Tofazzal Hossain, Tangail Sadar upazila BNP president Azgar Ali, Dinajpur Chirirbandar upazila BNP member Mokarram Hossain, Habiganj Sadar upazila BNP convener committee member Mohibul Islam, Manikganj Saturia upazila BNP member Md Sohrab Hossain, member of BNP in Gangachara upazila Shah Md Alamgir and Koyra upazila BNP member Sheikh Abdur Rashid.

Among the former leaders, Sukumar Roy, former cooperative affairs secretary of Pirganj in Thakurgaon, former president of BNP in Mirzaganj in Patuakhali Ashraf Ali Howladar, Bhola Lalmohan upazila BNP's former joint general secretary Aktaruzzaman, former president of upazila Chhatra Dal in Trishal, Mymensingh, Mazharul Islam, former joint general secretary of upazila BNP in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj Humayun Kabir, former convenor of BNP in Chauhali upazila Mahfuza Khanam, former BNP leader and current upazila chairman Abdus Samad in Nagarpur, former president of Mathiura union Chhatra Dal in Sylhet Zakir Hossain and former president of Naogaon Atrai upazila Jubo Dal Ekramul Bari, have become candidates in the third phase of upazila polls.

In Ashuganj, former BNP president and upazila parishad chairman Abu Asif Ahmed has become a chairman candidate. He was expelled from the BNP after he joined the Brahmanbaria-2 by election.

BNP has already expelled the 72 leaders and activists for joining the first phase of upazila parishad polls defying party decision. The party also has served show cause notice to 61 leaders and activists for becoming candidates in the second phase. BNP sources say they are to be expelled if they don’t pull out from the elections. The party is preparing a list of candidates, who are contesting in the third phase.

In all, 79 BNP leaders are running for the chairman post in the three phases together, 28 in the first, 25 in the second and 26 in the third phase.

Relevant persons say these chairman candidates are fairly influential in their respective areas. They are also organisationally strong. Expulsion of these leaders one after another can potentially weaken the party at grassroots and field level.

The party leadership, however, has been maintaining a hard line. They are saying that there is no way other than expelling the leaders, who decided to join the elections despite the party's decision to boycott the polls, to ensure order and discipline within the party. In this case, the party is consciously ignoring the fact that these expulsions may somewhat weaken its organisational base at the grassroots.

However, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy shared a different view on this issue. Speaking to Prothom Alo on Friday, he said, “Although there are no party symbols or party nominated candidates in the polls, they (BNP candidates) will have to compete with the Awami League. So there is no guarantee that there won’t be any poll violence or that opposition canadidates won't be subjected to false cases. So, more of our activists will pull out eventually with the election day approaching.”