AL nomination: Many controversial lawmakers left out

Awami League today announced the final list of its candidates for 298 seats to contest the January 7 national election. Of them, 71 incumbent lawmakers were dropped from the list. Many of them were left out for their controversial roles, according to AL sources.

There were discussions in the country's political arena about the exclusion of several prominent MPs and such speculation was proved right as many were dropped from the final list of candidates.

Allegations of money laundering, land grabbing, corruption and making controversial comments were brought against many of them.

Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, MP from Faridpur-3, was in discussion for various reasons.

He served as a minister for two consecutive terms in the AL government. However, he was not in the cabinet in the current government.

Mosharraf came to discussion for favouring two local leaders of Faridpur -- Rubel and Barakat -- as they were involved in embezzling thousands of crores of taka illegally.

District AL president Shamim Haque has been nominated in his seat.

Apart from that, Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain's son-in-law Habibe Millat has been dropped. He is a lawmaker from Sirajganj-2.

This time, district AL joint general secretary Jannat Ara Henry has been nominated.

State Minister for Information Murad Hasan came under heavy criticism after his phone conversations were leaked.

After that, he was dropped from the cabinet and also lost his AL post. This time he also lost the party nomination.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain, a lawmaker from Kurigram-4, came under criticism for his controversial comments.

Member of AL's information and research subcommittee Biplab Hasan was given nomination in this constituency.

Former Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir also did not get a party nomination this time. His name comes to the discussion centring a bank scam.

AL Information and Research Secretary Salim Mahmud has been nominated from Chandpur-1 in place of Alamgir.

Pankaj Nath, former general secretary of Swechhasebak League, became MP two times in a row from Barishal-4 (Hijla and Mehendiganj upazilas).

He was involved in conflict with the local party leaders and workers.

AL's International Affairs Secretary Shammi Ahmed has been given nomination for the first time from this constituency.

Allegations also ran rife against Moazzem Hossain Ratan, MP from Sunamganj-1, over land grabbing and corruption.

This time, he has been replaced by district AL organising secretary Ranjit Chandra Sarkar.