Many picked, some dropped

Some controversial Awami League lawmakers got party tickets for the upcoming election.

Yesterday, the party handed out nomination letters to 248 aspirants.  

SHAJAHAN KHAN, MADARIPUR-2

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, who got the ticket for Madaripur-2, is the executive president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation. He is considered by many as a major obstacle to bringing discipline to the transport sector.

Shajahan often opposed government policies and measures intended to bring discipline to the sector.

His federation on several occasions held people hostage by enforcing strikes. The organisation even protested court verdicts and the recently passed Road Transport Act.

Shajahan also hogged the headlines on many occasions by making controversial comments. 

SHAMIM OSMAN, NARAYANGANJ-4     

Shamim Osman is another controversial pick for the upcoming polls. While an MP in 1996 and 2001, he controlled Narayanganj and became known as the godfather of local criminals. He made headlines on many occasions for his controversial activities, such as those against his rivals Sarah Begum Kabori, a former MP from Narayanganj, and Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy.

In January this year, his supporters attacked Ivy and her followers, although he later denied allegations of his involvement in the matter.

NIZAM HAZARI, FENI-2

Nizam has been accused, by a group of local AL leaders in Feni, of playing a key role in the attack on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's motorcade in November 2017. He denied the allegations.

He was widely believed to have had a hand in the murder of Phulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haq in May, 2014. He denied his involvement in the matter and was not charged.

DABIRUL ISLAM, THAKURGAON-2

Dabirul Islam and his son were allegedly involved in grabbing land of the Hindus in Baliadangi upazila.

The National Citizen Coordination Cell to Implement the Vested Property Return Act found that a group of people led by the Dabirul's son Mazharul Islam attacked the community to grab their land.

“Dabirul was directly involved in the incident,” the probe committee said in a press conference on January 8, 2016. Dabirul, however, refuted the allegations.

SHAFIQUL ISLAM SHIMUL, NATORE-2

In August 2015, Shimul allegedly snatched “a criminal” from Rab custody in Natore town immediately after arrest. He, however, denied his involvement, although several AL leaders and journalists witnessed the incident.

He violated the election code of conduct in the 2015 mayoral election and 2016 district council election. He apologised to the Election Commission for the 2015 incident.

At an event in December 2016, he disclosed how he had manipulated the upazila election on February 17, 2014, to ensure victory for the party-blessed chairmen and vice-chairmen candidates.

SAIMUM SARWAR KOMOL,

COX'S BAZAR-3

In 2012, the Anti-Corruption Commission interrogated Komol, a director of Sonali Bank's board, over his alleged involvement in the Hall-Mark loan scam.

In September 2016, Komol led his men in the snatching of various goods seized by a mobile court from illegal occupants at Himchhari in Ramu upazila. He and his men also berated a forest official for carrying out the mobile court drive.

In January this year, Komol made headlines for humiliating a teacher.

ABDUR RAHMAN BODI, DROPPED FROM COX'S BAZAR-4

Although Abdur Rahman Bodi failed to secure the party ticket, his wife Shahina Akhter Chowdhury managed to get it.

Multiple intelligence reports have mentioned Abdur Rahman Bodi as the “yaba godfather” and patron of drug traders, while several of his relatives and associates are also listed in the reports as yaba peddlers.

He had also made headlines several times for assaulting school teachers, forest and bank officials, an engineer of the Department of Roads and Highways, a freedom fighter, and a lawyer.

In November 16, a Dhaka court sentenced Bodi to three years in prison for “concealing” and “deliberately providing false” wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission in March, 2014. Bodi, however, on different occasions, denied the allegations against him.

AMANUR RAHMAN KHAN RANA, DROPPED FROM TANGAIL-3

Rana is currently in jail and facing a trial in a case filed for allegedly killing Faruk Ahmed, a freedom fighter and party colleague.

Although he was dropped, his father Ataur Rahman Khan received the party ticket.

In September this year, Rana and 20 others were charged in a case filed for attempting to murder a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader in Ghatail in 2016.

In May this year, Rana was shown arrested in a case filed for killing two Jubo League activists in 2012.

AKMA AWAL, DROPPED FROM PIROJPUR-1

In August 2015, Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, at a press conference, accused Awal of grabbing the land of minority communities.

He made headlines for allegedly giving top posts of the party and its associate bodies in the district to members of his family.

ARIF KHAN JOY, DROPPED FROM NETRAKONA-2

Deputy Minister for Sports Arif Khan Joy drew criticism for his "continuous misbehaviour" with his ministry officials.

In November 2015, he allegedly ransacked the room of a joint secretary of his ministry as Joy's name was not on the banner of a national youth day programme.

There is also an allegation that during the 65th congress of FIFA at Zurich in Switzerland in May 2015, he illegally left one of the five delegates behind.

Joy denied the allegations.

A recent newspaper report of a top Bangla daily said that Joy collected money from several job seekers and cheated them.

MOHAMMAD MIZANUR RAHMAN, DROPPED FROM KHULNA-2

In April this year, the Anti-Corruption Commission quizzed Mizanur Rahman for about five hours in connection with allegations of amassing illegal wealth.

Mizanur, however, said the allegations were baseless.

According to a confidential list prepared by the Prime Minister's Office in February, Mizan, who is also the general secretary of Khulna city AL, is among 28 people listed as patronisers of drug dealers in the city.