At least 20 leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) and Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (Swachip) are reportedly lobbying influential Awami League leaders and policymakers, in a bid to secure nominations from the ruling party for the upcoming parliamentary polls.
The BMA and Swachip doctors however expressed concerns about not being evaluated properly and losing out on nominations, because the recently-passed Representation of the People Order (amendment) Bill 2013 cleared the path for contenders for the next parliamentary polls to join a political party any time for nomination.
It was learnt that 11 doctors were elected as lawmakers in the last national polls, with several of them holding ministerial and state ministerial posts in the departments of health, foreign affairs, and primary and mass education.
There are allegations that several doctor leaders have already started seeking election campaign funds from businesspeople and industrialists, as well as secretly seeking cooperation from officers and employees of the health sector.
However, many of those leaders refuted the claims and said the polls expenses will be met with personal funds, party donations and with the help of relatives and friends.
Sources said, Dr MA Aziz, joint secretary of BMA, wants nomination from Mymensingh; Dr Habibe Millat, executive member of BMA and the prime minister’s daughter’s relative on her in-law’s side, is seeking a seat in Sirajganj; Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan, vice president of BMA’s Dhaka division unit, going for Tangail’s Ghatail; Dr Nazrul Islam, ex-vice president of BMA’s Barisal division unit, going for Pirojpur’s Bhandaria; Abdur Rouf Sarder, vice president of Dhaka city unit of BMA, going for Narsingdi’s Monohardi; Dr Ehsanul Kabir Jaglul, BMA’s treasurer, going for Lakshmipur; Dr Jamaluddin Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Private Medical Practitioners Association (BPMPA), going for Sandwip; while a seat in Kishoreganj is being sought by Dr Mahbub Iqbal, executive member of BMA.
Other nomination ambitions that have reportedly been much discussed in the medical community in recent times, include the potential nominations in the Chandina seat for Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Dr Pran Gopal Datta and in Rajbari’s Pangsha constituency for BMA Secretary General Dr M Iqbal Arslan.
Seeking anonymity, a high-ranking BMA leader told the Dhaka Tribune that there was very little chance for any of the two candidates to run in the polls, as they did not leave their jobs three years ahead of the elections.
Several doctor leaders, preferring to stay unnamed, criticised the recently-passed RPO amendment, saying the changes would make it difficult for the honest, devoted and professional candidates to secure nominations, and would instead encourage the dishonest and the corrupted.
Prof Dr Kamrul Hasan, vice president of BMA, expressed concerns that the changes to the RPO bill would result in financially sound candidates being given more preference than authentic political leaders.
Prof Dr MA Aziz, joint secretary of BMA, who quit his BSMMU job three years ago as per the condition to participate in the election, had been busy strengthening communications with the constituents of the Mymensingh sadar seat.
He told the Dhaka Tribune: “I will seek a nomination ticket but the final decision will come from our beloved leader, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.”
Prof Dr Nazrul Islam of National Heart Institute had retired to contest in the parliamentary polls from Pirojpur district. He said: “I had left public service to participate in the parliamentary elections. I am now communicating with the people regularly.”
Jamaluddin Chowdhury, secretary general of BPMPA, said he had been working at Sandwip for a few years. Chowdhury informed that he had lost to another Awami League candidate in the previous election, said, but expressed hopes of winning in the next polls.