Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSoD) General Secretary Shirin Akhter is the current member of parliament (MP) from Feni-1 constituency, a seat where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s former protocol officer Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury will represent Boat in the January 7 polls.
JaSoD, led by former information minister Hasanul Huq Inu, is a key member of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance.
Political analysts say the Awami League candidate will throw a tough challenge to Shirin Akhter in the upcoming polls.
In 2018, the Awami League withdrew its candidate Md Abul Bashar to pave the way for a Jatiya Party (JaPa) candidate, Lt Gen (Retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury, in Feni-3.
The retired army officer had sought Awami League nomination in 2018. But failing to get it, he joined JaPa and won the elections. This time the Awami League has given its ticket to Abul Bashar to contest the upcoming polls.
Daganbhuiyan Upazila AL President Master Kamal Uddin told Dhaka Tribune that the party had a rebel candidate during the tenth parliamentary polls. Even after the withdrawal of Abul Bashar from the constituency to allow the JaPa candidate to contest from the constituency, the rebel candidate, Rahim Ullah, did not withdraw his candidature.
Kamal said that despite winning the polls, Gen Masud could not win the hearts of the people during the five-year tenure. As a result, the ruling party decided to give its own leader a chance to run from the seat this time.
In Feni-1, the local Awami League leaders and activists are happy to be able to campaign for their party leader this time.
The JaSoD on the other hand says it has no difference with the Awami League ahead of the polls. Their MP, Shirin Akhter, has followed the ideology of the government and worked in accordance with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership and dictations. They hoped that the Awami League would allow Shirin to run from Feni-1 this time as well.
But the ruling party did not leave Feni-1 and Feni-3 constituencies for its allies while announcing its candidates on Sunday.
