Constituencies in Dhaka District: AL aspirants' campaign runs at full throttle

Multiple ruling Awami League ticket aspirants are campaigning in full swing in most of the constituencies in Dhaka district.

The BNP camp, however, is almost silent as the party is busy with other issues, including release of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The AL has around 75 aspirants and the BNP around 50 in the 20 constituencies of the district. Of the constituencies, 15 are in the metropolitan areas, while the rest are in Savar, Keraniganj, and Dohar upazilas.

In the last election, AL shared five seats in the district with its alliance partners. The lawmakers elected from those constituencies are Salma Islam (Dhaka-1), Sayed Abu Hossain (Dhaka-4), Kazi Firoz Rashid (Dhaka-6) of Jatiya Party, Rashed Khan Menon (Dhaka-8) of Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB) and SM Abul Kalam Azad (Dhaka-17) of Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF).

Besides, AL leader Haji Mohammad Salim contested and won the polls as an independent from Dhaka-7.

However, this time AL leaders want nomination of party people in Dhaka instead of alliance partners and are conducting vigorous campaigns in the constituencies.

For example, AL presidium member and former minister Abdul Mannan Khan, Beximco Group Vice-Chairman Salman F Rahman, and Dhaka Zilla Parishad Chairman Mahbubur Rahman are prospective candidates of AL in Dhaka-1.

Former AL lawmaker Sanjida Khanom and Sheikh Hasina's former personal assistant Awlad Hossain are trying to get party ticket in Dhaka-4.

AL incumbents are also facing challenges for tickets from within.

Food Minister Qumrul Islam is the present lawmaker of Dhaka-2. But, Keraniganj upazila chairman and upazila unit AL convener Shahin Ahmed is a strong candidate there.

Two AL leaders -- Haji Mohammad Selim and Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin -- are conducting vigorous campaigns to get the ticket for Dhaka-7

Dhaka-13 MP and Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Dhaka City North unit General Secretary Sadek Khan are competing for nomination there.

Incumbent Aslamul Haque Aslam, AL woman reserve seat MP Sabina Akter Tuhin, Darussalam thana AL President ABM Mazar Anam and city AL vice-president Azizur Rahman Bachchu are campaigning for ticket in Dhaka-14.

Kamal Ahmed Majumder, the incumbent lawmaker of Dhaka-15, may face challenges from Swechhashebak League leader Gazi Mejbaul Haque and Jubo League leaders Mainul Hossain Khan Nikil and SM Zahid.

Similarly, multiple candidates are campaigning in Dhaka-16, -19 and -20 constituencies.

“There is no doubt that we will work together to ensure victory of the 'Boat'. But I call upon the party high-ups to nominate those who keep in touch with the grassroots,” said Shahin Ahmed, a nomination-seeker of Dhaka-2.

However, some AL leaders are likely to face no intra-party rivals. They are Nasrul Hamid of Dhaka-3, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh of Dhaka-10, AKM Rahmatullah of Dhaka-11, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan of Dhaka-12 and Sahara Khatun of Dhaka-18.

Although BNP leaders and activists are not visible on the ground, the party has some vital candidates in Dhaka.

Dhaka City South BNP General Secretary Kazi Abul Bashar may contest the poll from Dhaka-6 if veteran leader Sadek Hossain Khoka, who is facing a sedition case and lives in the US, does not run.

In Dhaka-7, BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu's wife Nasima Akhter Kalpana may get the party nomination.

BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas may get party ticket in Dhaka-9, Barrister Nasir Uddin Asim in Dhaka-10, standing committee member Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah in Dhaka-16, and Vice-Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Ruhul Alam Chowdhury in Dhaka-17.

Besides, BNP leaders Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal will contest the poll from Dhaka-13, Amanullah Aman from Dhaka-2 and Goyeshawar Chandra Roy from Dhaka-3, while Mirza Abbas's wife Afroza Abbas is likely to get nomination in a Dhaka constituency.