With the next parliamentary election only six months away, the ruling Awami League is taking all out preparation to ensure victory in the Gazipur City Corporation election which is scheduled to be held on June 26.
According to Awami League senior leaders, the ruling party is very serious about the Gazipur election victory and is concentrating on the election campaign – ensuring organizational unity ahead of 11th parliamentary election scheduled for December.
Awami League leaders told the Dhaka Tribune that winning in the Gazipur city polls will help the party to ensure victory in not only the upcoming Barisal, Rajshahi and Sylhet city elections but also the national election. For the sake of the party’s win in the upcoming election, Awami League leaders want to demonstrate its popularity by winning the Gazipur polls.
To ensure the win of the party nominated mayoral candidate, Jahangir Alam, the Awami League central working committee has assigned several central leaders to supervise the election campaign across the city corporation.
“Several leaders from the central committee, except lawmakers, will visit Gazipur and will take part in election to ensure Jahangir Alam’s victory. These leaders will also coordinate the whole election campaign,” said Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan to the Dhaka Tribune over phone.
To fix Awami League’s plans for Gazipur city polls, the party’s senior leaders met at the party president’s political office in Dhanmondi on Monday. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, presidium members Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan and Abdur Razzaque, Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak and others were present during the meeting.
Abdur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that he hoped that the Awami League nominated candidate would win the election with a huge margin in Gazipur.
“To continue the development of the country, people should vote for Jahangir Alam,” he added.
Awami League also aims to jointly work with alliance political parties to ensure victory in Gazipur city polls, according the party leaders.
As part of that plan, Awami League-led 14-party alliance also formed several teams – compromising central leaders of alliance partners – to conduct the election campaign in every ward of Gazipur City Corporation for Jahangir Alam from June 21-24.
Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal’s Joint General Secretary Shawkat Raihan, Shahadat Hossain and Shohidullah Sikder of Ganatantri Party, Kamrul Hasan Khan of Bangladesh Workers Party, Reazul Haque Chandpuri of Bangladesh Tariqat Federation and others leaders of 14-party alliance will take part in the election campaign.
Awami League’s affiliated organizations also formed a committee to conduct the election campaign throughout Gazipur city.
Bangladesh Awami Jubo League has formed a committee for each polling centre. Jubo League Chairman Mohammad Omar Faroque Chowdhury and General Secretary Harunur Rashid have instructed all committee members to work for Jahangir Alam to ensure his victory. Central leaders of Jubo League are taking part in the campaign as well.
Bangladesh Awami Swechasebak League, Sramik League, Bangladesh Krishak League, Mohila Awami League, and Jubo Mahila Awami League central and local leaders will also take part in the election campaign.
Awami League aims to resolve internal conflict
Similar to other units of Awami League, Gazipur city and district unit Awami League are suffering from internal conflicts among leaders, lawmakers and ministers.
Before the city polls, Awami League’s central committee is focusing on resolving the conflicts to ensure their candidate’s triumph.
According to senior leaders of Awami League, BNP will not be a “big factor” for Awami League in Gazipur city polls rather they are more concerned about the said inner conflicts.
During the meeting on Monday, central committee leaders discussed about resolving inner conflicts among leaders of Gazipur – namely the ones among Jahangir Alam, Gazipur City Awamiu League President Azmat Ullah Khan, and Gazipur-2 lawmakers Zahid Ahsan Russel and Mohammad Iqbal Hossain Sabuj over local politics.
Central leaders talked with Gazipur local leaders and lawmakers, and asked them to work together for the party candidate –by letting go of all the disputes among them.
Regardless of the internal disputes, Azmat Ullah and Russel started campaigning in favour of Jahangir.
