Potential candidates from various political parties have started their activities as the Brahmanbaria-2 (Ashuganj and Sarail) parliamentary constituency fell vacant, with BNP lawmaker lawyer Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan submitting his resignation letter last week.
Now that the Election Commission is set to conduct the by-election within the next 90 days as per the rules, some aspiring candidates are trying to get a green signal from the party's high command. Many are announcing their candidacy to the voters through banners and festoons, and attending social and religious events.
The voters are in the role of concerned observers as they fear the by-polls will not be peaceful due to the heated political situation. They feel that if political parties are not responsible, an anarchic environment is evident centring the elections.
The ruling Awami League's success in the seat is not worth mentioning because, after 1975, no candidate with the boat symbol has yet won. Candidates of the BNP, Jatiya Party and Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini's Islamic Oikyo Jote won here in turn.
Local Awami League leaders say they could not win by giving concessions to the components of the alliance. However, they are now hopeful of winning this seat, considering the overall development of the country in the last few years.
BNP's Sattar Bhuiyan won the seat in the national election on February 27, 1991, after the introduction of parliamentary democracy in the country. Later, he continued his winning streak in the elections of February 15 and June 12 in 1996. However, he did not get nomination in the October 1, 2001 election as the four-party alliance chose Amini.
The Islamist leader won the polls with the paddy sheaf symbol. On the other hand, advocate Ziaul Haque Mridha, the Jatiya Party (JaPa) candidate supported by the Awami League-led Grand Alliance, won the election on December 29, 2008, against Amini. On January 5, 2014, Mridha won the election, which was boycotted by most of the opposition parties, including the BNP.
But there was an exceptional atmosphere ahead of the election of December 30, 2018. The BNP and its alliance nominated a single candidate, and Sattar Bhuiyan became an MP for the fourth time. His nearest rival was the rebel candidate of the Awami League, Moin Uddin Bhuiyan.
Although the Grand Alliance picked Mridha's daughter-in-law Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan, the former chose to contest as an independent candidate. Rezaul later withdrew his candidacy.
Other candidates in this election were Zaker Party's Zahirul Islam Jewel, Isa Khan of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Mohiuddin Molla of Islamic Front, Zakir Hossain of Islamic Movement, Jamilul Haque Bakul of Jatiya Party (Manju) and popular Islamic orator Mufti Ghiyas Uddin Aat-Taheri.
Thoughts on by-election
The BNP and some of their allies have made it clear that they will not participate in this year's by-elections as per the alliance's decision.
On the other hand, the leaders of Awami League, JaPa and Islami Oikyo Jote have said they are preparing for the by-election.
Moin Uddin Bhuiyan, who came second in the last election, said he was 100% ready to contest the by-polls. “Party activists and ordinary voters have already massed in my favour,” he said, adding that Awami League candidates had always been scapegoats because of sharing seats among the alliance members.
Shiuli Azad, MP of a reserved seat and general secretary of Sarail Upazila Awami League, said: “The local Awami League leaders and workers are always deprived because of the alliance. This time I wish to see a candidate from the party.”
President of Sarail Upazila Awami League Advocate Nazmul Hossain said he would seek nomination from the party.
Ashuganj Upazila Awami League Vice President and Upazila Chairman Hanif Munshi said: “This constituency is a fertile base of the Awami League. It has been proven in the past local government elections.”
Sarail Upazila BNP President Anishul Islam Thakur said that the party's parliamentarians had resigned to advance the movement to bring down the government. “There is no question of the BNP's participation in the by-election.”
Ashuganj Upazila BNP General Secretary Habibur Rahman Habib said the BNP would not go to any election until the fall of the incumbent government.
Former MP Ziaul Haque Mridha, who was elected several times from JaPa, said that he would definitely be elected this time.
Party activists have started mass communication in his favour.
Mufti Hasnat Amini, central chairman of Islami Oikyo Jote, wants to contest the by-election. His late father, Mufti Amini, who was elected in 2001, has a significant following as this constituency is dominated by Qawmi madrasas.
He said that the decision would be taken after considering the overall situation and discussing the matter in the party forum.
Another popular candidate in this seat is district unit Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat General Secretary and Islamic speaker Mufti Taheri. He is also waiting for the signal of the party's high command.
BNP's key Jamaat-e-Islami will not participate in the polls. Sarail Upazila Amir lawyer Moniruzajaman said his party would not go to any election under the incumbent government due to the absence of a level-playing field.
Abul Kalam Azad, the Brahmanbaria district coordinator of Conscious Citizens Committee (SANAK), said that the political parties should ensure the selection of progressive and responsible candidates in the by-polls. Moreover, the EC must stop the spread of black money and the display of muscle power, he added.
