Sheikh Hasina suggests alternative candidates to prevent uncontested wins
Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has suggested the consideration of alternative (dummy) candidates to prevent uncontested victories.
During an exchange of views with Awami League nominees at Ganabhaban on Sunday, Sheikh Hasina instructed Awami League candidates not to exert pressure on independent candidates. Multiple sources have confirmed this information.
According to the sources, Sheikh Hasina expressed that nominations might be canceled for certain candidates, potentially resulting in either no candidate in that constituency or only the Awami League candidate.
In such a situation, there could be an opportunity to win without competition, a scenario Sheikh Hasina wishes to avoid.
In the 2014 elections, Awami League, their coalition, and like-minded party leaders secured victory without contest in 153 seats as BNP boycotted the election.
Sources within the Awami League indicate that there is a dilemma among the party's policymakers regarding the possibility of forming a grand coalition.
There is speculation that any party may withdraw from the vote at the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations. This uncertainty has led the party chief to advise having alternative candidates.
According to sources present at the meeting, the prime minister expressed the view that BNP might not participate in the polls as a party.
However, she anticipated that many leaders from the BNP might choose to contest the elections as independent candidates. In response, the Awami League president instructed party leaders not to exert pressure on these independent candidates.
Sources also revealed that the prime minister, referring to various conspiracies surrounding the elections, mentioned that there were efforts to postpone the election schedule, and economic pressures might arise after the polls.
However, she asserted that she is not afraid of these challenges, emphasising her resilience as the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sheikh Hasina affirmed her determination not to yield under any pressure, stating that there might be attempts to use Bangladesh as a tool to attack a third country, and she vowed not to provide such an opportunity for anyone to exploit.
In the context of the party's nomination process, 3,356 applications were submitted to secure Awami League's nomination. All applicants were summoned to Ganabhaban. Addressing the candidates present, Sheikh Hasina acknowledged the difficulty of selecting 300 individuals from such a large pool of applications.
She urged the candidates to support those nominated, acknowledging that not all nominations might be universally pleasing. Sheikh Hasina also highlighted that she had received SMS messages against some candidates and sternly prohibited such messages, warning of expulsion from the party for those who engage in such activities.