Sylhet AL to punish rebels in upazila polls

The Sylhet city Awami League is likely to punish the dissident candidates, who are contesting the 9th upazila council polls scheduled for February 20 and February 27 before the polling days.
Sylhet Sylhet city AL president Abduz Zahir Chowdhury Sufian and General Secretary Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury in a joint statement issued on Tuesday night cautioned the party leaders and activists in this regard.
The statement said those who are contesting the upazila elections for chairmen, vice-chairmen and woman vice-chairmen posts defying the party decision would have to face stern action.
A frontline leader of the Sylhet city unit of ruling AL said they were mulling to take punitive step not only against the rebel candidates for the posts of upazila chairmen, vice-chairmen and women vice-chairmen, but also against the local leaders and activists who are participating in the election campaigns in favour of the dissident candidates.
Sylhet Sylhet city AL general secretary Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury told that the party leaders decided to take action against the rebel candidates in order to protect greater interest of the party.
‘The party leaders have reached a consensus to show ‘zero-tolerance’ to the rebel candidates in the upcoming upazila election,’ he added.
The Sylhet city deputy office secretary Jaglu Chowdhury said the local leaders and activists would not be allowed to go unpunished, if they extend support to any dissident candidate.
The election commission is set to hold elections at nine out of 12 upazila councils in the Sylhet city in the first and second phases on February 20 and 27.
Except Bishwanath upazila council polls, the ruling Awami League has failed to ensure single candidate against the posts of chairmen and vice-chairmen in the rest 8 upazila polls, the party sources said.