Mother, son battle for UP chairman post

Though it sounds unlikely, Ranipara union in Bagerhat's Kachua upazila is set to see a mother and her son battle it out in the upcoming union parishad (UP) elections billed for March 22.

Taslima Begum, the mother, is contesting the polls for the chairman post with ruling Awami League's boat symbol, while her son, Mehedi Hasan Babu, is running as an independent candidate with the election symbol of a pineapple.

But locals suggest that it is, in fact, the son's battle against his father, SM Mahfuzur Rahman, the current UP chairman.

Mahfuzur Rahman has already disowned his son publicly for not conforming to his family's wishes, which is why Mehedi is campaigning from outside the district, while his mother is promoting her campaign door to-door.

Mahfuz, a local Awami League leader, was the chairman of Ranipara union from 1998 to 2008, after which he was elected as the chairman of Kachua Upazila Parishad.

His wife Taslima was elected Ranipara UP chairman in 2011 in his place.

Mehedi says that he is competing not against his mother, but against his father's oppressive activities in the area. He brought allegations against his father of intimidation and disrupting his campaign, which were rejected by Mahfuz.

Branding his son as rebellious and a drug addict, Mahfuz accused Mehedi of leaning towards BNP-Jamaat's politics and claimed he brought shame upon the family by marrying a BNP leader's daughter.

But, Taslima blames it on Mehedi's 'mental problem,' stating that he was 'not in his right state of mind' when he stood for election against her. Fully confident about her victory, she revealed that they have had no contact with their son since he left their house.

According to voters, although Taslima is ahead in terms of popularity, her son is not far behind.

Seema Rani Shil, a voter from Khalishakhali village, said although it is a mother-son contest, she will cast her vote only after careful consideration.

Bikash Dutta, a voter from Narendrapur village, voiced his dilemma in choosing a candidate from mother or son.

Ranipara has some 13,678 voters in its 19 villages.

Ranipara returning officer and local fisheries official Kabir Hossain said neither of the candidates had made any complaint against the other as of yesterday.