Candidates are more in Dhaka, less in Sylhet

Awami League’s nominee for the post of member of parliament in the 12th national parliament election in Dhaka division is high. In the case of Sylhet division, this picture is exactly opposite. Aspirants bought the least number of forms from the Sylhet division from the day the sale started on Friday till yesterday. The last day for sale and submission of forms is Tuesday. It is reported that a total of 3 thousand 19 nomination forms have been sold in the last three days. Among them, 624 nomination forms were sold in Dhaka division, 571 in Chittagong division, 374 in Khulna division, 230 in Barisal division, 273 in Rangpur division, 364 in Rajshahi division, 268 in Mymensingh division and least 150 in Sylhet division. The income of Awami League by selling these forms is 15 crore 9 lakh 50 thousand taka.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Professor Anwar Hossain and former Chairman of PSC Mohammad Sadiq took the nomination form of Awami League yesterday to be a candidate for the election. Prof. Anwar has collected the form for Netrakona-5 Constituency (Purbadhala Upazila). Waresat Hossain Belal, the younger brother of Anwar Hossain, is the current Member of Parliament for that constituency. Both of them are freedom fighters — Belal Purbadhala Awami League president and district Awami League member and Anwar Hossain Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Jasdar Standing Committee member. They are younger brothers of late Colonel Taher. Anwar Hossain, who taught in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Dhaka University, was also the President of the University Teachers’ Association. During 2012-2014 he served as the Vice-Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University. Former Chairman of Public Works Commission (PSC) Mohammad Sadiq has bought the form to become a candidate for boat from Sunamganj-4 constituency. This constituency consists of Vishwambharpur Upazila and Sunamganj Sadar Upazila. The current MP of Sunamganj-4 Constituency is Pir Fazlur Rahman Michbah of Jatiya Party (JPA). Mohammad Sadiq, who served as Education Secretary and Election Commission Secretary, is also known as a poet. He received the Bengali Academy Award in 2017 for his special contribution to poetry.

Three leaders of the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal have collected the party nomination form of Awami League. They are – bus president Rezaul Rashid Khan, member Hamidul, member Md. Bakul Hossain. They collected the nomination form from the central political office of Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue on Saturday. Rezaul Rashid Khan Sirajganj-6 constituency, Hamidul Sunamganj-2 and Md. Bakul Hossain collected the nomination form of Brahmanbaria-1 seat. Mashrafe bin Mortaza, the former captain of the national cricket team, has taken the nomination form of the Awami League to be a candidate for the boat again in the next January 7 election. Narail district Awami League president Subas Chandra Bose went to the central office of Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital and collected forms for Mashrafe in Narail-2 constituency. Mashrafe entered politics in 2018 after playing cricket for one and a half years in his career. He was elected MP from Narail-2 constituency in the 11th National Parliament election that year. Last year, the former captain of the national cricket team was made the youth and sports affairs secretary of Awami League.

Bengali film action hero Masum Parvez Rubel bought nomination form of Awami League. He has nominated for Barisal-3 parliamentary seat. The elder brother of this hero, Masud Parvez Sohel Rana, another famous actor, was involved in BCL politics during his student life. Later, in 2009, he joined the party by taking the post of presidium member of Jatiya Party (Japa). After that Sohail Rana was appointed as the election advisor to the late chairman of Japa HM Ershad. Since then he is known in the political arena as a Zapa leader. However, Rubel bought the nomination form of Awami League. Talking to reporters after picking up the nomination form, Rubel claimed, ‘I have been chanting Joy Bangla since my student days. Like others in the acting world, I am not new to politics. My roots are Awami League.’ Small screen actor Siddiqur Rahman collected nomination forms for Dhaka-17 and Tangail-1 constituencies from Awami League party office on Bangabandhu Avenue. Late actor Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooq won from Dhaka-17 constituency in the 11th parliamentary elections. Siddique wanted to be a candidate in the by-election when the seat was declared vacant due to his death. Siddiqui’s nomination form is collected by the current member of parliament of Tangail-1 (Madhupur and Dhanbari) Awami League presidium member. Abdur Razzaq. In the afternoon, with a big showdown, Dr. submitted the application form for nomination again in Tangail-1 seat. Md. Abdur Razzaq. In the same environment, Jahangir Kabir Nanak collected the nomination form in Dhaka-13 and Barisal-5 constituencies. Awami League’s nomination form for Kishoreganj-2 seat was submitted by Birmuktijoddha Abdul Kahar Akand, the former chief investigating officer of Bangabandhu’s murder, killing of four national leaders and BDR rebellion, Awami League’s relief and social welfare secretary Aminul Islam Amin took the form for Chittagong-15 seat, Sirajganj-1 and 2. Sheherin Salim Ripon, grandson of Captain M Mansoor Ali, one of the four national leaders, submitted the nomination form for the seat. Special Assistant to Prime Minister Mashiur Rahman Humayun took the nomination form for Kishoreganj-1 seat.

Central Jubo League presidium member Tajuddin Ahmed has collected the nomination form for Pirojpur-3 (Mathbaria) seat. Currently, Jatiya Party (JPA) MP Rustam Ali Faraji is in this seat. Former leader of Chhatra League Abu Abbas has bought the nomination form of Awami League for Brahmanbaria-5 (Navinagar) constituency. The current member of parliament in this seat is Mohammad Ebadul Karim Bulbul of Awami League. Dhakai movie actress Mahia Mahi collected Awami League’s nomination form for Chapainawabganj-2 seat on November 18 to fight in the 12th National Assembly elections. Yesterday afternoon, he appeared at the central office of the party and submitted the nomination form. Party nomination form of Awami League from Pabna-4 Constituency (Ishwardi-Atgharia) has been bought by member of sub-committee on forest and environment of the party and Secretary of Publicity and Publication of Bangabandhu Parishad. Shaheed Imran Major General (retd) Abdus Salam has submitted party nomination form of Awami League from Mymensingh-9 Constituency. He was Member of Parliament from Nandale in 1996 and 2008. Current Member of Parliament and General Secretary of Jessore District Awami League Shaheen Chakladar MP purchased nomination form from Jessore-6 (Keshabpur) Constituency, present Member of Parliament, Minister of State for Rural Development and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharya purchased nomination form from Jessore-5 (Monirampur) Constituency.

Awami League started selling nomination forms at the party’s central office on Saturday morning. The process was officially started by collecting the nomination form of party leader and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since then, the aspirants are collecting the nomination form every day in the spirit of the festival. This time the price of nomination form of the party has been fixed at 50 thousand rupees. 733 nomination forms were sold yesterday. Among them, 709 people directly and 24 people collected the nomination form online, said the office secretary of the party, Barrister Biplab Barua. Which is the lowest in last three days. Biplab Barua said that on the third day yesterday, 166 nomination forms were sold in Dhaka Division, 165 in Chittagong Division, 33 in Sylhet Division, 58 in Mymensingh Division, 76 in Barisal Division, 90 in Khulna Division, 62 in Rangpar Division and 59 in Rajshahi Division. Apart from this, 24 forms have been sold online. Meanwhile, a massive showdown of Awami League nomination aspirants has been going on for the last three days on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital to show their organizational capacity. The central office premises are full of marching slogans.