AL men lose heart as JP eyes victory

Hafiz Uddin Ahmed

With Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance ticket for Jatiya Party candidate, JP leaders and activists are eyeing an almost sure win in Thakurgaon-3 constituency as organisational foundation BNP-led four party alliance is very weak in the area.
On the other hand, Awami League leaders and activists in the constituency are frustrated over the decision that deprived their party candidate of nomination.
Jatiya Party Presidium Member Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, who got grand alliance nomination from Thakurgaon-3 constituency, was elected parliament member in 2001.
In 2001 election, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed of JP got 89,468 votes, Imdadul Haque of AL got 78,998 while Jahidur Rahman of BNP-led four-party alliance got only 8,359 votes.
“Awami League grassroots leaders and activists are disappointed as the seat is considered as a stronghold of Awami League that won this seat in 1970, 1973,1979 and 1996. In 1986 AL-led fifteen-party combine candidate Workers Party leader Shahidullah Shahid was elected lawmaker from this constituency with boat symbol,” Pirganj upazila unit President of Awami League Wazed Ali Sarcar said.
When contacted, AL leader Imdadul Haque said, “I withdrew my nomination paper from this constituency as per decision from the high-ups.”
“We will decide what to do next after sitting with party men,” he said replying to a query.