Divisions and disputes among the Awami League leaders have come to the fore again during the union parishad election. Demands of the grassroots have been ignored in meeting the demands of the three local members of parliament. It has been alleged that these MPs are controlling politics, forming separate groups of their followers outside the party structure. These groups are locally known as the “MP League”
Speaking to the Awami League leaders at various levels, it is learned that the local Awami League is cornered by the ‘MP League’.
Madaripur has three constituencies comprising four upazilas. Awami League has been winning in these constituencies since 1991. The homes of seven central Awami League leaders are in Madaripur. Of them, presidium member Shahjahan Khan and publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan (Golap) are also MPs from two constituencies. Joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim is a former MP. The other four central leaders are not much discussed in local politics. Noor Alam Chowdhury is the MP from the remaining constituency in the district. He is also the chief whip of the parliament. Besides, the home of former MP and communications minister Abul Hossain, is also in Madaripur.
According to local sources, almost all the party leaders and workers in Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury’s area, Shibchar upazila, are his followers. No one else interferes in his area as he is the nephew of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He also does not intervene in politics in other areas.
However, the main dispute is in Madaripur Sadar upazila. Shahjahan Khan joined the Awami League from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) in 1991. Since then, he has been elected as the MP from this constituency for six consecutive terms.
But the dispute between him and the district Awami League leaders has not been resolved even after 30 years. The sadar upazila Awami League has two committees, one led by the district Awami League and the other conducts their activities from the MP’s personal office. Each of these groups terms each other as ‘unauthorised’. The Jubo League and Chhatra League have the same rift. The divided groups field separate candidates in local elections.
Shahjahan Khan's brother Obaidur Rahman Khan has defeated the Awami League backed candidate in the last upazila election held in 2019 in Madaripur sadar.
Local Awami League leaders say Awami League’s boat symbol was used in the last union parishad election. The three MPs sent letters to the central committee of Awami League, asking that the boat symbol not be used this time. However, it was used in the Kalkini and Dasar upazila in the end. But the boat symbol was not used in Shibchar and Sadar upazila.
Bahauddin Nasim's brother and Madaripur pourashava (municipality) mayor and district joint general secretary, Khalid Hossain told Prothom Alo that Awami League would suffer if people develop a tendency not to vote for the boat symbol. Shafiq Khan, Shahjahan's cousin and joint general secretary of the district Awami League, said the main Awami League is being overshadowed due to internal disputes within the party.
Are the MPs more powerful than the party?
The district Awami League leaders say, the people who support Awami League want to vote for the party. The supporters of BNP-Jamat would not vote for Awami League. However, there are followers of the MPs among them. Therefore, the MPs worked against the boat symbol. Even after that, a list of party nominated candidates were sent to the centre as the party had sold the nomination forms. According to these leaders, the party and the symbol are being ignored which results in developing followers of individuals, not the party.
District Awami League president Shahabuddin Ahmed Mollah told Prothom Alo, “There was a demand of boat symbol among the leaders and activists. Since they did not get it, the question has arisen among them, are the MPs more powerful than the party?”
He further said he opposed giving the boat symbol because MPs followers would not be given the symbol.
These correspondents had been trying to reach Shahjahan Khan for his comment on the issue over the phone for several days, but he did not respond.
Ejazur Rahman, upazila Awami League’s general secretary and a follower of Shahjahan Khan, told Prothom Alo that Madaripur is an Awami League stronghold. The use of the party symbol at a union level creates division among the workers.
Elected chairman upon return from USA
Abdus Sobhan's brother Md Yunus Ali was elected chairman of Kalkini's Ramzanpur union uncontested with the boat symbol.
Local Awami League leaders allege that the MP's brother, who became the chairman after returning from the US, had been subject of much controversy in the last five years. This time, BM Milton, another brother of the MP, was brought back to the country before the election. Later, he got the nomination and was elected the chairman uncontested.
He also alleged that independent candidate Ali Noor Talukder was forcibly dropped from the election, so that the MP’s brother could win uncontested.
Ali Noor is the joint general secretary of the union Awami League. He told Prothom Alo, “He (MP) brought back another of his brothers and gave him the boat symbol. The followers of the MP picked me up from the house and forced me to withdraw my nomination. What is the benefit of being involved in the party?
Earlier, the MP was accused of forcibly picking up Mashiur Rahman, an independent candidate for the Kalkini Pourashava election, and using the police to bring him to Dhaka in February. Mashiur Rahman is a former upazila president of Chhatra League. He told Prothom Alo, "There is no use in being popular, you have to be the MP's favourite candidate.”
Allegations of nomination trade
Several leaders of the Kalkini upazila Awami League have alleged nomination papers were being sold in exchange of money. This time no one was nominated from the list sent from the grassroots. Candidates on the list made by the followers of MP Abdus Sobhan have been nominated. In the end, the boat candidates lost in nine out of 13 unions of this upazila.
According to Kalkini's leaders, Abdus Sobhan had been forming a separate group of supporters since he became an MP for the first time in the last election. Ignoring the upazila Awami League, he first formed a separate committee of Chhatra League. Then he formed committees for the Tanti League, Sainik League and Matsyajivi League. These have never been here before.
Abdus Sobhan was called more than once for his comment about these allegations but he did not respond. His local representative and vice-president of Kalkini Upazila Awami League, Abul Kalam Azad told Prothom Alo that the defeat of Awami League in the nine unions is very sad. If the MP had evaluated the upazila leaders and workers properly, there would not have been any dispute.
However, upazila Awami League president and reserved seat MP Tahmina Siddiqui told Prothom Alo, “There has never been any dispute in the party here. After the arrival of Golap (Abdus Sobhan), they are trying to strengthen their power. They started a business over the pourashava and union parishad elections. Everything here is a game of money.”
*This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu