Relatives in UZ Polls: Unfazed, AL MPs breach party directive
The ruling Awami League issues some directives and makes some strategic decisions before local government polls, but its ranks hardly ever abide by those.
Another glaring example of this was set yesterday.
The ruling party had asked all its MPs to make sure no family members or relatives of theirs run in the upazila election, but almost all AL leaders concerned ignored the directive. Also, the decision to have nobody elected without facing any competition whatsoever was not entirely implemented.
Around 16 close relatives or family membersof ministers and MPs were running for upazila chairman posts in the first phase of the election, scheduled for May 8.
As the window for withdrawing nominations closed yesterday, only one of them quit the race. Lutful Habib, a brother-in-law of State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak, withdrew on Sunday.
This is not the first time ruling party leaders have refused to comply with party orders, ignoring threats of punitive actions. The AL issued similar warnings ahead of local government elections before, but later had to declare general amnesty to the leaders who ignored the directives.
The AL even amended the provisions for expulsion in its charter to force the grassroots to comply with its decision. But it did not yield the desired results.
The ruling party is still hopeful that the relatives and family members of the MPs, now on the ballot for the May 8 polls, would quit the race and endorse an AL leader running as an independent. The AL is not formally fielding any candidates.
DEFIANCE
Many MPs ignored repeated calls by the party to implement its directives.
AL MP Mohammad Ali of Noakhali-6 chose his son Ashik Ali over his brother and incumbent chairman of Hatia upazila Mahbub Morshed Liton.
Sources said that Ali ensured Liton did not run. Ali also fielded his wife Ayesha Ferdous who withdrew yesterday along with Jatiya Party candidate Mushfiqur Rahman.
Ashik is to be elected unopposed.
Shabab Chowdhury, son of AL lawmaker for Noakhali-4 Ekramul Karim Chowdhury, kept his word that he would stay till the end in the race for Subarnachar upazila chairman.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader had called Ekramul to get his son to quit. But now Shabab, 30, with no post in AL, will be challenging Noakhali AL president and three times Subarnachar upazila chairman AHM Khairul Anam Chowdhury, 75.
Bogura-1 AL MP Sahadara Mannan's younger brother Minhaduzzaman Liton, also Sonatala upazila AL president, is in the race for Sonatala chairman while the MP's son Sakhawat Hossain Sajal is running for Sariakandi upazila chairman post.
Asibur Rahman Khan, son of AL presidium member and Madaripur-2 MP Shahjahan Khan, is running for Madaripur sadar upazila chairman. Shariful Haque, a brother-in-law of Anwarul Ashraf Khan Dilip, the AL MP for Narsingdi-2, is running for Palash upazila chairman.
A cousin and a nephew of Nilphamari-1 AL MP Aftab Uddin Sarkar are running for the Dimla upazila chairman post, while Pabna-1 MP and deputy speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku's younger brother Abdul Baten is vying for the post of Bera upazila chairman.
Chuadanga-2 MP Ali Azgar Tagar's younger brother Ali Monsur Babu is running for Damurhuda upazila chairman post, while Noor-e-Alam, younger brother of Pirojpur-1 MP and former minister Rezaul Karim, is running for Nazirpur upazila chairman.
When asked about MPs' relatives not withdrawing from the races, AL Joint General Secretary Bahauddin Nasim told The Daily Star, "Some have already quit the race… there is still time for others to leave the scene and endorse other party candidates."
"If close relatives of the MPs remain in the race till the end, time will say what steps we will take against them," he added.
ENSURING UNOPPOSED WINS
The chairman, vice-chairman, and female vice-chairman in Chattogram's Raozan upazila are to be elected unopposed. This is the second time in a row this is going to happen.
In the 2021 union parishad polls there, members of all 14 unions in Raozan were elected unopposed.
In Madaripur's Shibchar upazila, AL general secretary of the upazila Salim Mia is set to be elected chairman unopposed. His only opponent, his wife, withdrew yesterday.
Shifatun Haque, daughter of Ayesha Siddika, AL's women affairs secretary in the same upazila, withdrew yesterday. Siddika is set to be elected female vice-chairman unopposed.
BM Ataur Rahman (Atahar), president of Kanthalbari union AL and vice president of Bangladesh Launch Owners Association, is set to become the vice-chairman of Shibchar as his only opponent Moniruzzaman, joint general secretary of the association, quit yesterday.
Chairman candidates are set to be elected uncontested in Rangunia under Chattogram, Cumilla sadar, Singra of Natore, Munshiganj sadar and Parshuram of Feni.
According to the Election Commission, 198 candidates withdrew their candidature in the first phase.
Among them, 95 candidates were for chairman posts, 79 for vice-chairman, and 24 for vice-chairman reserved for women, EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told The Daily Star last night.
Now 1,588 people are in the races -- 554 for chairman, 605 for vice chairman, and 429 for vice chairman reserved for women.