Ex-bureaucrats, police officials, film stars in AL's nomination race

Apart from politicians, former bureaucrats, police officials, film and cricket stars are also rallying to get nomination of the ruling Awami League in the next general election.

The ruling party om Tuesday wrapped up selling nomination forms to the aspirants who want to take part in the next election. A total of 3,362 nomination forms were sold against 300 seats. On average, 11 nomination forms were sold in every seat.

Among the aspirants who bought nomination forms are a cricketer, businesspersons, film actors and actresses, former bureaucrats, former officials of police and army, physicians, diplomats, journalists, teachers and people from all backgrounds.

Now the Awami League parliamentary board will hold its first meeting on Thursday to finalise the ruling party candidates. AL president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina would chair the meeting scheduled to be held at Dhaka district Awami League office in the city's Tejgaon. Party sources said finalising AL candidates in 300 seats might take three to four days.

AL’s joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told Prothom Alo yesterday that people from any background can be interested to get the nomination of AL since the party is so popular. The party will choose candidates based on popularity.

Prime minister’s former principal secretary Abdul Kalam Azad wants AL nomination from Jamalpur-5. He has been attending AL office at Tejgaon regularly in recent times and works in fixing the party’s election strategy.

Among the AL ticket aspirants is former election commission secretary and Bangladesh Public Service Commission’s (BPSC) former chief Mohammad Sadique. He submitted the nomination form to contest from Sunamganj-4. Jatiya Party’s Pir Fazlur Rahman is the current MP in this constituency.

Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mahmud has resigned from upazila chairman post and submitted the ruling party’s nomination from Sunamganj-2. He is the brother of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdullah Al-Mamun. Suranjit Sengupta’s wife Joya Sengupta is the current MP of this constituency.

Dhaka range police’s Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Nurul Islam’s brother Syed Nazrul Islam is the aspirant of ruling party ticket from Chapainawabganj-1 constituency. He also resigned from upazila chairman post recently. Nazrul met AL election conducting committee’s co-chairman Kazi Jafar Ullah with a flower bouquet in Dhaka on Monday. His brother Nurul Islam was also present during the meeting. His other brother Syed Monirul Islam is the mayor of Shibganj pourashava.

Former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque has sought party nomination from Shariatpur-1 constituency. AL central executive committee member Iqbal Hossain is the current MP of this seat. Shahidul Haque’s brotherAKM Ismail is the chairman of Naria upazila parishad and joint secretary of district AL.

Former police officer Abdul Kahar Akanda seeks party nomination from Kishoreganj-2 seat. Former IGP Nur Muhammad is the current MP of this constituency.

President Shahabuddin’s son Mohammad Arshad Adnan wants the ruling party nomination from Pabna-5. District AL’s general secretary Golam Faruk Prince is the current MP of this constituency.

Former bureaucrats who has sought the nomination of AL include former secretary Prashanta Kumar Roy (Khulna-1), former secretary Mejbah Uddin (Bhola-4), former secretary Sourendranath Chakrabarty (Naogaon-3) and former chairman and secretary of the National Board of Revenue Golam Hossain (Chandpur-1), former secretary Shah Kamal (Chandpur-5) and former secretary Mihir Kanti Majumdar (Barguna-1).

Former director general of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Abul Hossain wants an AL ticket from Patuakhali-3 seat. Former information advisor to the prime minister Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury (Feni-2), member of parliament Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman (Chandpur-4), Naem Nizam (Comilla-10) are the ruling party nomination aspirants among the journalists.

Among the physicians who bought AL nomination are former vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Kamrul Hasan Khan (Tangail-3), former president of the Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (Swachip) M Iqbal Arslan (Rajbari-2), former secretary general of Swachip MA Aziz (Mymensingh 4 and 9) and secretary general of BMA Ehteshamul Haque Chowdhury (Sylhet-3).

FBCCI’s former president AKM Jashim Uddin is AL nomination aspirant from Dhaka-17. Noted lawyer Amir-ul-Islam wants the AL ticket from Kushtia-3 while his daughter Tania Amir bought nomination form to contest from Kushtia-4 seat.

National cricket team’s captain Shakib Al Hasan submitted the ruling party’s nomination forms for Dhaka-10, Magura-1 and Magura-2 constituencies. He submitted the nomination forms at AL central office in Bangabandhu Avenue yesterday.

Among the film and television stars who sought ruling party’s nomination are Mahiya Mahi (Chapainawabganj-2), Simla (Jhenaidah-1), Masud Parvez Rubel (Barishal-3), Shomi Kaiser and Rokeya Prachi (Feni-3), Danny Sidak  (Dhaka-10) and Siddiqur Rahman (Dhaka-17 and Tangail-1).