Six union parishads under Tangail’s Bhuapur upazila are going to polls in the second phase today.
Ruling Awami League candidates are likely to face tough battles against renegade contestants and aspirants from other political parties. Altogether 26 candidates, including that of Jatiya Party’s, are vying for chairman posts.
The Awami League has already expelled the rebels from the party but voters say the move will have little impact on the outcome. The BNP, on the other hand, fears whether the election will be free and fair.
At Arjuna Union, Awami League has nominated incumbent chairman Aiyub Ali Molla. But the union’s Awami League unit chief Saifuzzaman Khan Tuhin has also joined the fray. BNP candidate Md Nasir Uddin lost the last election to Aiyub by a narrow margin. Locals say this time, there will be hot contest between the two.
The ruling party has pinned hope on Moniruzzaman Monir in Gabsara Union, who won the chairman election last time as a rebel. This time, however, he will be facing off against the party’s renegade contestant Shah Alam Shapla and BNP’s Gabsara unit General Secretary Khandker Akhtaruzzaman. Jamaat-backed candidate journalist SM Moniruzzaman has also joined the race.
At Falda Union, the Awami League has nominated incumbent chairman Saidul Islam Talukder Dudu. BNP chose its upazila unit general secretary Selimuzzaman Selu. Mofidul Islam Liton and Akbar Hossain are contesting as rebel Awami League candidates. Voters have hinted at a three-way fight between Dudu, Selu and Akbar.
Gobindasi, billed as the most important union in Bhuapur, will see a bitter fight between Awami League’s Meer Shaheen Hossain Arju, renegade candidate and current chairman Aminul Islam Amin and BNP’s Mostafizur Rahman Babul. The other independent candidate is Abul Kalam Azad.
At Aleya union, Awami League candidate Nurul Islam will have to fight four rebel candidates including current chairman and party’s union unit chief Md Rahij Uddin Akand, general secretary Md Liton Mia, Mortuza Ali and Waheduzzaman Palash. BNP’s Ariful Islam Rafiq hopes to cash in on the squabbling. Jatiya Party’s Liakat Ali is the other candidate.
BNP candidate incumbent Nikrail Chairman Md Jahangir Mondol is ahead of the curve. He will fight Awami League’s Matin Sarkar and rebel candidate former chairmen Motaleb Sarkar. Jamaat-backed Shamim Al Mamun is also contesting the polls.
Altogether 59 women are vying for the reserved seats while 180 others are contesting for general posts. There are 123,017 voters in the six unions. Upazila Election Officer Md Rafiqul Islam has hoped the election will be a free and fair one.
