Awami League (AL) candidates who have recently bagged the tickets of the boat are worried as party chief Sheikh Hasina allowed rival candidates to see the upcoming parliamentary elections as competitive.

In this situation, AL candidates are remaining in a discomfort zone. Besides, many AL candidates will have to lose the party ticket if the BNP joins the polls. In this case, AL will ally with the Jatiya Party and some seats will be given to them.     

On the other hand, if the BNP joins the election, rival candidates will be the main opponents of the AL candidates. Many heavyweight leaders can lose their reign and a new record might happen of winning independent candidates.  

Contacted, Awami League advisory council member and 14-party coordinator and spokesperson Amir Hossain Amu said, “We will vie the election with an alliance. We (AL) have finalized the list of candidates for the parliamentary board meeting. Party chief Sheikh Hasina will finalize the seat proportion with the alliance partners very soon.”  

Who faces rival candidates?

Narayanganj’s Rupganj upazila chairman and upazila AL general secretary Shajahan Bhuiyan submitted his resignation letter to the secretary of the local government division wishing an independent candidate in the 12th parliamentary elections. Shahjahan Bhuiyan said he is hopeful about winning the election as he considers himself a popular candidate.

Nomination-deprived Mohammad Shubid Ali Bhuiyan has announced participation in the forthcoming elections as an independent candidate from the Cumilla-1 constituency. Awami League Science and Technology Affairs Secretary Engineer Abdus Sabur has been nominated for this seat.

Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman announced to vie from the Habiganj-4 constituency. Lawmaker Mahabub Ali got the AL ticket for this seat. Nomination-deprived AL lawmaker Talukdar Mohammad Towhid Jung Murad and Ashulia Thana Awami League general secretary Saiful Islam announced to be independent candidates against State Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Dr Enamur Rahman in Dhaka-19 seat. Mahbub Ara Begum Gini, the ruling party lawmaker from Gaibandha-2, got a party ticket this time also. District AL organizing secretary and Gaibandha sadar upazila chairman Shah Sarwar Kabir will fight against Gini. Keraniganj upazila chairman and South Keraniganj Awami League president Shahin Ahmed will vie against AL candidate and current lawmaker Advocate Qamrul Islam in the Dhaka-2 constituency. AL leader Monzur Alam will fight against party candidate Mohiuddin Bacchu in Chattogram-10.

Jatrabari Awami League general secretary Harunur Rashid Munna got AL ticket for Dhaka-5 seat. Current parliamentarian Kazi Monirul Islam, former lawmaker Habibur Rahman Mollah’s son Mashiur Rahman Mollah Sajal, and Swecchasebak League Dhaka South president Kamrul Hasan Ripon will fight against Munna as rival candidates. Debidwar upazila chairman and Cumilla South district AL organizing secretary Abul Kalam Azad will vie against party candidate Razee Mohammad Fakhrul from the Cumilla-4 constituency. Abdul Hye got an AL nomination for the Jhenaidah-1 seat. District AL vice-president Nazrul Islam Dulal will also take part in the polls as an independent candidate.

Former reserve-seat lawmaker Sabina Akter Tuhin will fight as a rival candidate against Awami Jubo League general secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil from the Dhaka-14 constituency. Lawmaker Habib Hasan got a boat symbol for the Dhaka-18 seat. Awami League leader Khasru Chowdhury will vie against him. Rangpur district AL member Sumona Akter Lily will fight against party candidate Abul Kalam Md. Ahsanul Haque Chowdhury in Rangpur-2 constituency. Bazlul Haque Haroon will have to face rival candidate M Moniruzzaman Monir in the Jhalakati-1 constituency.  

Major General (Rtd.) Salahuddin Miaji got an AL ticket for the Jhenidah-3 constituency. The current lawmaker of the seat Shafiqul Azam Khan Chanchal has already announced to be an independent candidate. Anwarul Azim Anar, the lawmaker from the Jhenaidah-4 constituency, got a party ticket this time also. He, however, will have to face Kaliganj upazila AL general secretary Ayyub Hossain in the polls. All four seats of Jhenaidah have rival candidates. 

Parliamentarian Enamul Haque announced his independent candidature for the Rajshahi-4 constituency. Film actress Mahia Mahi will vie for Rajshahi-1 seat as a rival candidate. Ranjit Sarker got boat for Sunamganj-1. Parliamentarian Mouazzam Hossain Ratan and district AL member Selim Ahmed will fight against him. Former BPSC chairman Dr Mohammad Sadiq bagged an AL ticket for the Sunamganj-4 seat. Nomination-deprived AL leader Matiur Rahman will fight against him. Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mahmud, brother of IGP, was nominated as the Awami League candidate for the Sunamganj-2 constituency. He will have to face a rival candidate former additional secretary Mizanur Rahman. Sunamganj district AL joint general secretary Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury will vie against party candidate Mohibur Rahman Manik from Sunamganj-5.  

Mustaque Ahmed Ruhi got the AL nomination for the Netrokona-1 seat. He has a rival candidate Jannatul Ferdouse alias Jhuma Talukder. Jannatul Ferdouse has already resigned from the Durgapur upazila chairman post. Film actor Shakil Khan will fight against AL candidate Deputy Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar in the Bagerhat-3 seat. 

Lawmaker Nazim Uddin Ahmed will vie against AL candidate Nilufar Anzum Popy from the Mymensingh-3 constituency. Nomination-deprived Rezaul Haque Chowdhury and former lawmaker Abdur Rauf will fight from Kushtia-1 and 4 constituencies respectively as rival candidates. Cox’s Bazar AL former general secretary Salahuddin Ahmed will have to face rival candidate lawmaker Zafar Alam in the Cox’s Bazar-1 seat.  

Nomination-deprived Dr Murad Hasan will fight from Jamalpur-4. Former lawmaker advocate Abul Kalam Azad will vie from the Natore-1 constituency as an independent candidate against Shahidul Islam Bakul.

Selima Ahmad Merry got an AL ticket for the Cumilla-2 constituency. She will have to face rival candidate Abdul Majid. Sazzad Hossain Swapan will vie against party candidate Abul Hashem Khan from the Cumilla-5 constituency. Muntakim Ashraf Titu will fight against AL candidate lawmaker Dr Pran Gopal Datta from the Cumilla-7 seat.  

H M Badiuzzaman Sohag bagged an AL ticket for the next election from the Bagerhat-4 constituency. He will face Malaysia Awami League president M R Jamil Hossain as a rival candidate. Former upazila chairman Giash Uddin will vie against party candidate Mahboob Ur Rahman Ruhel from Chattogram-1 seat. AL candidate Abdus Salam will have to face rival candidate Yunus Gani Chowdhury in Chattogram-5. Ward councillor Ziaul Haque Sumon will fight against party candidate M A Latif from Chattogram-11 constituency. Satkania upazila former chairman M A Motaleb will vie against AL candidate Abu Reza Muhammad Nezamuddin Nadwi from Chattagram-15 seat while AL leader Mujibur Rahman and Abdullah Kabir Liton will fight against current lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman as rival candidates from Chattagram-16 constituency. Khadizatul Anwar got the boat from Chattogram-2. She has also rival candidates Abu Toiyab and Md Shajahan. 

Omor Faruk Chowdhury bagged an AL ticket for a Rajshahi-1 seat. AL leaders – Ayesha Akter Jahan Dalia and AL leader Md Akterruzzaman will vie against him as rival candidates. Nomination-deprived lawmaker Ayeen Uddin will fight against party candidate Asaduzzaman Asad from the Rajshahi-3 constituency. Parliamentarian Dr Monsur Rahman and district AL former organizing secretary Ahsanul Haque Masud will fight against AL candidate former lawmaker Abdul Wadud Dara from the Rajshahi-5 seat.  

Kanai Lal Biswas got an AL nomination from Pirozpur-2. He will face a strong rival candidate Mohiuddin Moharaj. Awami League leader Shafi Ahmed will vie against lawmaker Sajjadul Hassan from Netrokona-4 constituency. Prime accused of journalist Shimul killing AL leader Halimul Haque Miru wants to become an independent candidate against party candidate former parliamentarian Choyon Islam from Sirajganj-6 seat.   

Kazi Zafarullah was nominated by the Awami League to contest the 2023 election from Faridpur-4. Nomination-deprived lawmaker Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury Nixon will fight against him as an independent candidate. AK Azad, managing director of Ha-Meem Group and former president of FBCCI, announced to vie as an independent candidate from the Faridpur-3 constituency.

AL nomination-deprived former commerce secretary Ghulam Hussain will fight against party candidate central Awami League information and research affairs secretary Dr Selim Mahmud from Chandpur-1 seat. Journalist Arifur Rahman Dolon announced to vie against AL candidate party presidium member Abdur Rahman from the Faridpur-1 constituency.

@ The article was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 28, 2023 and has been rewritten in English by Golam Rosul.