Posters for Jatiya Party (JaPa) Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu’s election campaign for Kishoreganj-3 has drawn some criticism.
Chunnu is “nominated by JaPa and supported by the Awami League,” the posters say.
Local Awami League leaders expressed discontent, leading to mixed reactions among the party's general leaders and activists.
Some argue that Chunnu should not declare support from the Awami League on the poster, while others contend that since Awami League has not fielded a candidate in the constituency and has withdrawn its nominee, there is an implicit understanding between the party and JaPa.
Nasirul Islam Khan Awlad, the person the Awami League had nominated for the seat before its seat-sharing agreement with JaPa, strongly objected to Chunnu's poster, stating that there is no official support from Awami League. This issue has triggered internal debates within the parties concerned.
Tarail upazila Awami League President Azizul Haque Motahar said: “The poster surprised us. We do not support Chunnu. We will discuss the issue in the party forum.”
Mujibul Haque Chunnu could not be reached for comment.
In Kishoreganj-3, although the Awami League is not officially fielding a candidate, four party leaders and activists are independently contesting the polls from there.
A leader from the district unit of the Jatiya Party, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed the controversy, saying everyone knows the Awami League is supporting the Jatiya Party's candidate, even without an official announcement.
“If the party's decision is accepted, Awami League leaders and activists will be expected to vote for JaPa’s plow symbol. Failure to comply with the party decision is a separate matter,” he added.
