Jubo Mohila League President Nazma Akhter and her followers staged a demonstration inside the Awami League president’s Dhanmondi office on Tuesday, concerning rumours of her not getting nominated for the Dhaka 18 by-polls.
Around 56 people, including Nazma, bought nomination papers from the ruling party to contest in the by-polls to Dhaka 18 constituency, which fell vacant following the death of Awami League lawmaker and former home minister Sahara Khatun on July 9.
Rumours of Nazma failing to secure the nomination and the former joint secretary of Awami League’s Dhaka (North) city unit, Habib Hasan, getting the party green light for the seat started after a newspaper recently published a report on the issue.
At one point on Tuesday afternoon, Nazma and her supporters, a group of Jubo Mohila League activists, went inside the party office and started chanting slogans demeaning Habib Hasan.
The protest was also live streamed on Facebook.
When Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader came to the party president's political office around 11:30am, some leaders of the women’s youth front of the ruling party tried to meet him but failed.
Since then, Nazma, with her followers, have taken up position inside the party establishment.
Contacted for comment, Barrister Biplab Barua, office secretary of Awami League, said: “The nomination for Pabna 4 constituency was announced after a meeting of the party's parliamentary nomination board chaired by Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday.
“We are yet to finalize who will get the party nomination for the remaining constituencies, including Dhaka 18.”
Talking to Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday afternoon, Nazma Akhter said: “We read a newspaper report that Habib Hasan has been nominated from Awami League to contest in the by-polls to Dhaka 18.
“We want a clear explanation regarding the matter from the party high command and this is why we are waiting at the party office.”
However, Habib Hasan said he had not gotten any formal notification from the Awami League about the nomination.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Nuruzzaman Biswas, chairman of Ishwardi upazila and vice president of Pabna district Awami League, was granted the party nomination for the Pabna 4 by-polls.
