Sylhet-5 Constituency: ‘Uncomfortable BNP’, Islamic parties active
S A Shofiee, Sylhet :
Sylhet-5 constituency consists of Zakiganj and Kanaighat upazilas bordering Surma and Kushiyara.
Since independence, candidates from Awami League, Jatiya Party, Independent twice and BNP, Jamaat and Islamic Unity Alliance have won from the constituency four times.
Whenever an alliance is formed, BNP has given up the constituency to its partners. Jamaat’s candidate has won once in alliance with BNP. But no BNP leader has ever been lucky enough to be an alliance candidate.
However, this time, even if there is an electoral alliance, BNP leaders and activists want party candidates, not partners.
Ahead of the elections, 9 BNP members and individual candidates from various Islamic parties including Jamaat are continuing their activities in the area.
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s political secretary and BNP’s central joint secretary general Abul Haris Chowdhury had won elections from Sylhet-5 constituency in 1979 and 1991 with the symbol of a sheaf of paddy.
After that, no popular leader of BNP got the opportunity to run for the seat. Abdul Kahir Chowdhury won the election on February 15, 1996 with the symbol of a sheaf of paddy.
In the 7th National Parliament election of the same year, no renegade and popular leader of BNP got the nomination. MA Matin Chowdhury resigned from the Jatiya Party and took the symbol of a sheaf of paddy.
Then, in the 8th and 9th parliamentary elections, the seat was taken away from BNP by its ally Jamaat. In 2001, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Maulana Farid Uddin Chowdhury entered parliament in alliance with BNP.
Although he was the candidate of the alliance again in 2008, he could not retain his victory. In the 11th parliamentary election, BNP again gave up the seat to its ally Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam.
Maulana Ubaidullah Faruk became the candidate. Hafiz Ahmed Majumder of Awami League defeated him and was elected as a member of parliament for the third time.
BNP leaders and activists are angry that alliance partners have repeatedly given up the seat. Even though there is an electoral alliance this time, the party’s nomination hopefuls and activists are not willing to give up the seat.
They want to make the BNP candidate with the paddy sheaf symbol the winner. Such demands are being made strongly from various meetings and gatherings.
9 BNP leaders are in the field this time expecting nomination in the seat. Among them, Siddiqur Rahman Paplu, the joint general secretary of the district BNP, is roaming around both the constituencies of Zakiganj and Kanaighat.
He was active on the streets to prevent the 2024 elections. He also became an accused in a police murder case in Dhaka while protesting.
By taking risks and leading the anti-Awami League government movement, he was able to gain the trust of the leaders and activists of the constituency.
Along with the leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organizations, he is spending a busy time in the constituency to create public opinion in favor of Tarique Rahman’s 31-point plan for state reforms.
District BNP Vice President Mamunur Rashid (Chaksu Mamun) is also not far behind. In addition to party activities, he is working tirelessly on various local issues of public importance. He is trying to win the hearts of the people of the constituency by speaking out on various issues including road renovation, river erosion prevention and embankment construction.
In addition, Sylhet District BNP Advisor Ashiq Uddin Chowdhury, United Arab Emirates BNP Convener Zakir Hossain, Metropolitan Volunteer Dal Convener Mahbubul Haque Chowdhury, District Krishak Dal Convener Iqbal Ahmed Tapader, US BNP Vice President Sharif Ahmed Laskar, Abul Haris Chowdhury’s daughter Barrister Samira Tanjin Chowdhury and Central Women’s Dal Publicity Secretary Lutfa Khanam Chowdhury Swapna are working as nomination candidates in the seat.
Jamaat-e-Islam has announced the party’s district Naib-e-Ameer Hafiz Anwar Hossain Khan as its candidate in the seat. He is continuing his activities in the constituency to reclaim the seat vacated by former MP Maulana Farid Uddin Chowdhury.
In addition, the constituency includes Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Central President Maulana Ubaidullah Farooq, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Central Nayeb Ameer Maulana Rezaul Karim Jalali, Khilafat Majlis Sylhet District Branch Advisor Mufti Abul Hasan, Islami Oikya Jote Central Senior Vice Chairman Mufti Faizul Haque Jalalabadi and Islamic Andolon Central Leader Rezaul Karim Abrar.
Recently, there have been rumors that Allama Abdul Latif Chowdhury Fultali’s (R:) younger son Allama Husham Uddin Chowdhury Fultali will contest from this seat, although Husham Uddin Chowdhury has not made any personal statement on the matter. Since then, Fultali’s supporters have been loudly announcing their candidacy.