Jatiya Party has nominated Selim Osman, elder brother of Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman, for the Narayanganj 5 by-poll to be held on June 26.
The decision came from JaPa’s Parliamentary Board meeting held at its Banani office yesterday with its Chairman HM Ershad in the chair.
Meanwhile, Selim, former president of the Narayanganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, collected nomination papers from the district election office.
JaPa Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu said: “The parliamentary board and Chairman HM Ershad have decided to nominate Selim Osman from the party for the Narayanganj 5 by-election.”
Meeting sources said Rawshan, senior presidium member of JaPa and also opposition leader in parliament, proposed the name of her political secretary Golam Mochi for the seat while Ershad favoured Selim. As a result both leaders had a brawl centring the matter.
“I have decided to give the party ticket to Selim,” Ershad said.
In response, Rawshan said: “If you have decided to give the ticket to him, then why have you called the meeting?”
Later, Rawshan added: “Who is Selim Osman? He is not our party man. Mochi is a party leader and he has sacrificed for the party. So you should nominate him.”
Turning down her claim, Ershad said: “Mochi left the party and joined another party.”
Another board member, Delwar, said: “The party should nominate those who withdrew their nomination papers following the party order on the January 5 election.”
Rawshan replied: “Who told you to withdraw the nomination paper?”
Later, Rawshan left the meeting asking Ershad to announce Golam Mochi’s name as the JaPa candidate.
The board decided to announce Golam Mochi’s name when the Narayanganj city unit leaders entered the room and threatened the board that they would resign unless Mochi was given the ticket. However, party Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu announced Selim Osman as the candidate.
When contacted, Mochi said: “The board finalised my name as the candidate, but I do not know what has happened in just 15 minutes that the secretary general announced Selim as the party candidate.”
However, the ruling Awami League decided not to nominate any candidate for the seat from the party.
The Narayanganj 5 constituency fell vacant following the death of Jatiya Party lawmaker Nasim Osman on April 30.
So far, 10 candidates bought nomination papers to vie in the by-poll including late Nasim Osman’s wife Parvin Osman and Opposition Leader Rawshan’s Political Secretary Golam Mochi.
