Ahead of the upazila elections, Awami League MPs across the country are defying strict orders from the party chief to pressurise the grassroots leadership into picking candidates of their choice.
Awami League in Chhatak upazila, Sunamganj took the decision to back Abru Miah as chairman candidate but local MP Muhibur Rahman Manik is pressurising the grassroots leadership to back his favourite, one Fajlur Rahman.
Similarly, although Shariatpur district Awami League has finalised Mubarok Ali Sikder as their Jajira upazila parishad candidate, local lawmaker BM Mojammel has already declared Tanay Molla as the party-backed candidate.
The first phase of upazila parishad elections will be held on February 19. According to the Election Commission’s schedule, today is the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers for the first phase.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned her party lawmakers not to interfere in upazila elections on January 28 at an Awami League Parliamentary Party meeting at the Sangsad Bhaban.
“A single candidate will be chosen through discussion with the party’s grassroots level, including ward, union and upazila unit. All MPs will coordinate it but no interference will be allowed,” Hasina, the party president, warned the MPs.
But violating these stern instructions, many lawmakers are meddling and pressurising the local committees to pick their preferred candidates. Some are pressurising local leaders to choose their relatives as chairmen candidates.
The president and secretary of Sunamganj district unit Awami League claimed local MP Manik was putting pressure on local leaders to select his preferred candidate.
“We have finalised one candidate everywhere except Chhatak, because of local MP Muhibur Rahman Manik,” Secretary Nurul Huda Mukut told the Dhaka Tribune.
In Shairatpur, the local committee took the decision to back Mubarok Ali Sikder as chairman candidate of Jajira upazila pasrishad, but local Awami League MP BM Mojammel Hossain declared Tanay Molla as the party’s candidate.
“We finalised that we would be supporting Mubarok Sikder at a joint meeting, as instructed by party President Sheikh Hasina. He is our candidate for the election. But if the local MP wants to support another person what can we do?” Abdur Rab Munshi, the president of Shariatpur district unit, said.
“There is a huge support for Awami League in Jajira upazila. But why does the MP want a terrorist like Tanay Molla?” he said.
BM Mojammel Haq MP of Shariatpur 1 constituency said the party grassroots would back Tanay Molla as chairman candidate for Jajira.
“In a meeting of the party upazila unit meeting on January 23, they finalised Tanay Molla as chairman candidate,” Mojammel, the central organising secretary of Awami League, said.
“On January 23 I was in Jessore for official tour and I did not join the meeting where Tanay Molla was chosen as the party-backed candidate,” he added.
Rezaul Islam Reza and Tozammel Haque, brothers of Bogra 5 MP Md. Habibur Rahman, have filed nomination papers as upazila parishad chairman candidates in the district.
Reza, who filed nomination for Dhunat, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We two brothers have submitted nomination papers, but being the brother of the local MP, I was criticised by many quarters. So I have decided to withdraw my nomination.”
He claimed that the president and secretary of the district unit had picked a candidate ignoring the grassroots opinion.
Md. Momjat Uddin, the president of Bogra district unit, said the party grassroots had finalised the unit’s General Secretary Mujibur Rahman Majnu as chairman candidate for Sherpur upazila. “Many people have tried to influence this decision,” he alleged.
Tozammel Haque, who filed nomination for Sherpur upazila, said he would contest the upazila election.
“Filing his nomination as an independent candidate in the last national election, Mujibur Rahman Majnu lost his membership of the party. So how did he become the party-backed candidate?” Tojammel said.
He said, “I have filed my nomination and I will contest the election.”
MP Habibur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that as the local MP he had joined the meeting where the candidate was picked, but did not play any role as per the instructions of the party chief.
“I went there like a volunteer observer,” he said.
Kazi Jafrullah, a presidium member of Awami League, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had no information of any interference from party lawmakers in the selection of upazila polls candidates.
As a local party leader, lawmakers could play a role in picking candidates by helping organise.
“We hope the candidates will be chosen in the way party President Sheikh Hasina has instructed. If anyone interferes with the process, necessary measures will be taken,” he said.
