BNP indecisiveness, Jamaat takes over the field

S A Shofiee, Sylhet:

Sylhet-4 constituency consists of three upazilas — Jaintapur, Gowainghat and Companiganj. The results of the post-independence elections show that this region, rich in tourism and mineral resources, was the base of the now banned Awami League. The Awami League has won 8 times in the last 12 national parliamentary elections.

BNP and Jamaat have set their sights on capturing this base of the Awami League in the 13th parliamentary elections. In addition, candidates from several Islamic parties are also active in the constituency. Jamaat, Khelafat Majlis, Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam, Islami Oikya Jote and Islami Andolon are active in the field by declaring single candidates.

In the upcoming national parliamentary elections, BNP has created a smokescreen with the nomination of party candidates in Sylhet-4 constituency. Although it was reported that Ariful Haque Chowdhury, the party’s chairperson’s adviser and former mayor of Sylhet City Corporation, has been nominated for this seat, no truth has been found till the time of writing this report.
No such information has been given by the party in any press briefing, press release or even from the party’s verified social media page. This has confused the general public, including the nomination aspirants who have been working for this seat for a long time.

This time, the Jamaat has nominated Joynal Abedin, the two-time former chairman of Jaintapur Upazila Parishad and current district Jamaat secretary, for Sylhet-4 seat. Jamaat’s organizational position in the seat has become stronger than before in almost three decades. Joynal Abedin, the sole candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami, has been dominating the field for almost a year. Campaigning is almost at its final stage in all the unions of the three upazilas. Their party leaders and activists have taken the voice of voting to every house.

In 1979, the seat was won by BNP’s Nazim Kamran Chowdhury in the 2nd parliamentary election. Later, in 1996, the seat was regained by BNP with the help of M. Saifur Rahman. Saifur Rahman won the seat in the 6th and 7th parliamentary elections in 1996. He vacated the seat after winning multiple seats in the 7th parliamentary election. Then, the seat was again won by the Awami League in the by-election. And the last seat was won by the paddy sheaf symbol in 2001.

This time, BNP’s central co-organizing secretary Miftah Siddiqui, former metropolitan secretary Badruzzaman Selim, former vice president of the district BNP and former upazila chairman Abdul Hakim Chowdhury, district BNP advisor Helal Uddin, Central BNP’s co-volunteer affairs secretary Advocate Shamsuzzaman Zaman, Nationalist Lawyers Forum’s central co-organizing secretary Barrister Kamruzzaman Selim and UK-based BNP leader Abdul Haque are in the field to regain the seat.

Sylhet-4 constituency has a huge vote bank of religious scholars. Keeping an eye on this vote bank, the Khilafat Majlis has announced the organization’s central leader Mufti Ali Hasan Usama, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Advocate Mohammad Ali, Islami Oikyajot Maulana Nazim Uddin Kamran and Islami Andolan Sayeed Ahmed as candidates.

Contacting multiple BNP sources, it was learned that no candidate for Sylhet-4 constituency has been given final nomination from the center so far. The party high command has not yet reached a final decision on candidacy for several seats. Although Ariful Haque Chowdhury’s name is in discussion, the final nomination has not been announced yet. What has been published in the media is complete rumor.

When asked about the matter, BNP National Executive Committee Organizing Secretary (Sylhet Division) Alhaj GK Gous said, I have not received any such written or verbal instructions yet. I am not even aware of such a matter.