Bangladesh ODI cricket team captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has been nominated by Awami League to run for office from the Narail 2 constituency in the 11th general election.
The party's Narail district unit President Subash Chandra Bose collected the nomination form for Mashrafe from the office of Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Anjuman Ara in Narail on Sunday afternoon.
Among others, Mashrafe's father Golam Murtaza Swapan, former MP Saif Hafizur Rahman, local Awami League leaders Advocate Mohammad Ali and Achin Kumar Chakrabarti, Bangladesh Chhatra League's district unit General Secretary Niloy Roy Badhan, Narail Municipality Mayor Jahangir Bishwas, and Councilors Kazi Zahir and Epi Rani, were present at the time.
The development came after Awami League issued the party nomination letter for Mashrafe in Dhaka.
“Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given Mashrafe the boat symbol,” said Subash. “We will all work together to ensure that he wins by a significant margin."
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal had encouraged Mashrafe to run for office at a meeting in Dhaka on May 29 this year, and called on people to vote for him.
Also Read- Father to collect Mashrafe’s nomination form Sunday
On Nov 11, Mashrafe collected the party's nomination application form and met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza called on Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina at her official residence, Ganabhaban, in Dhaka before collecting a nomination form from the ruling party on November 11, 2018 | Focus Bangla
On November 20, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said Mashrafe would run for office with the party's electoral symbol boat.
Mashrafe has been involved in various forms of social and volunteer work for some time.
On September 4, 2017, he launched a local volunteer organization named the Narail Express Foundation.
The foundation provides financial assistance, health care, agricultural seeds, and solar panels to the underprivileged, and is also involved in a range of ICT, sports, and cultural activities.
Meanwhile, six other candidates on Sunday also collected nomination forms from the returning officer's office to contest from the constituency.
They are - current MP and Workers Party's district unit President Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab) leader and journalist Fakir Shawkat Ali, Islami Andolan Bangladesh leader SM Nasir Uddin, former MP Mufti Shahidul Islam's son Mufti Talha Islam, and independent candidates Obaidur Rahman and Monir Hossain.
