Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Muhammad Hasan Mahmud has been representing the party in the National Parliament from Chattogram-7 constituency since 2014.
Hasan Mahmud was elected unopposed in the 2014 general election after opposition parties withdrew their candidacies (in a boycott of the election) while he contested the general election held in 2018 and became the lawmaker again from the constituency.
The constituency encompasses Rangunia Upazila and one union parishad of Boalkhali Upazila: SreepurKharandwip.
The constituency was created for the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973.
Ahead of the 2008 general election, the Election Commission redrew constituency boundaries to reflect population changes revealed by the 2001 Bangladesh census.
The 2008 redistricting altered the boundaries of the constituency.
Ahead of the 2014 general election, the Election Commission renumbered the seat for Sandwip Upazila from Chattogram-16 to Chattogram-3, bumping up by one the suffix of the former constituency of that name and the higher numbered constituencies in the district.
Prior to that, Chattogram-7 had encompassed all but one union parishad (SreepurKharandwip) of Boalkhali Upazila, and Chattogram City Corporation wards 3 through 7.
MA Mannan of AL contested the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973 and became the Member of Parliament from this constituency.
SalauddinQuader Chowdhury, who was hanged in 2015 for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, contested the general elections held in I979 as a candidate of Bangladesh Muslim League from the Chattogram-6 and Chattogram-7.
He won both the seats and left the Chattogram-6.
Therefore, he (SalauddinQuader) became the lawmaker from this constituency (Chattogram-7).
Later, his (SalauddinQuader Chowdhury) brother GiasuddinQuader Chowdhury contested the general election held in 1986 as a Jatiya Party candidate and won the seat.
Nazrul Islam, a Jatiya Party candidate contested the national election held in 1988 and became MP from the constituency.
Md Yusuf of Communist Party of Bangladesh contested the general election held in 1991 and won the seat.
NurulAlam, an independent contested the February general election held in 1996 and became the MP while SalauddinQuader Chowdhury contested the June general election in the same year as BNP candidate and won the seat.
SalauddinQuader Chowdhury also contested the general election held in 2001 and became the MP again.
Awami League-led grand alliance candidate and JatiyaSamajtantrik Dal leader Moin Uddin Khan Badal contested the general election held in 2008 and became the lawmaker from the Chattogram-7 constituency.
Like the Chattogram-6 constituency (Raozan Upazila) immediately after assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15 in 1975, the family members of SalauddinQuader Chowdhury had also unleashed a reign of terror across the Rangunia upazila by killing and torturing opposition leaders and activists and nurturing terrorists and militants like in the Liberation War.
The family also unleashed a reign of unchallengeable dominance at Rangunia upazila.
SalauddinQuader Chowdhury was a terrifying young goon in Chattogram who led his gang along with the Pakistani forces into Hindu populated villages and killed at will.
He also (Salauddin) also openly mocked the Liberation War and its martyrs and gloated over his role as a Razakar.
But, he became adviser of parliamentary affairs of Khaleda Zia in her 2001-06 government.
After the execution of SalauddinQuader Chowdhury, the horror that always used to haunt people has disappeared from the constituency.
But, during the current AL government, people of all religions and castes of the constituency are practicing their religions freely being inspired by the non-communal spirit.
The local AL leaders led by AL Joint General Secretary and incumbent lawmaker Dr Hasan Mahmud are committed to establishing the area as a developed and peaceful constituency in the country by protecting the prevailing communal harmony there.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud always urges the people of Rangunia to keep their doors open for him in the next national elections as he was beside them in the past.
“The national election is approaching. Please pray for me, when I will visit your doors in the election, keep your doors open for me,” Hasan told the locals.
Apart from the government, he has conducted many development activities in Rangunia through his family organisation, NNK Foundation.
The NNK Foundation has been carrying out various development activities side by side with helping people of Rangunia.
Leaders and workers of Chattogram unit of AL and people of all walks extended greetings to Hasan Mahmud for his being elected as the top joint general secretary post of AL.
Therefore, people of Chattogram-7 constituency think there is no alternative to Hasan Mahmud for the development of Rangunia.
Dr Hasan Mahmud is also urging root-level leaders and activists of AL to highlight the development work of the present government before mass people across his constituency.
The development scenario of Rangunia has been changed today under his leadership.
Thousands of people in each union are now beneficiaries of various social programmes of the government.
Every house in the village has an electricity connection. Not only the main roads, now the roads to people's houses have also been built with concrete.
When he was first elected MP in 2009, even his house did not have electricity connection.
Today, every house has power-connection in Rangunia upazila.
Once one had to take a whole day to travel from one end of Rangunia to the other, now it can be done in an hour.
Such massive developments were not done earlier by those who were elected as MPs from Rangunia.
But, Hasan Mahmud did it for the people of Rangunia.
Therefore, the party high command is likely to nominate Hasan Mahmud again to contest the next general election, according party insiders.
On the other hand, BNP is facing a leadership crisis and division in the Chattogram-7 constituency.
BNP aspirants are staging demonstrations, rallies and meetings as part of their ‘one-point’ movement with the goal to remove the AL from power to hold the upcoming national elections under a neutral government.
According to locals, the BNP is now divided into three factions for lack of leadership in this constituency.
“Who is the leader of the BNP of Chattogram-7? There is no democracy in the party as its leaders are divided into different factions today,” a local BNP leader, preferring not to be named, told reporters.
Golam Akbar Khandaker, former President of BNP Chattogram North District unit is leading a faction while former BNP lawmaker GiasuddinQuader Chowdhury is leading another one.
Besides, HummamQuader Chowdhury and FarhatQuader Chowdhury, son and wife of executed war criminal SalauddinQuader Chowdhury respectively are also leading a faction in order to establish supremacy in the constituency again.
Therefore, local leaders and workers who are loyal to their respective leaders ---Golam Akbar Khandaker, GiasuddinQuader Chowdhury, HummamQuader Chowdhury and FarhatQuader Chowdhury, want to see them MP from this constituency.
Principal Kutub Uddin Bahar, Convener of Rangunia Upazila unit BNP has also expressed his willingness to seek party nomination to contest the next general election if BNP joins the polls.
“If my party participates in the next general election, I will seek party nomination. If I get a party ticket and contest the election, I’m confident I will win Inshallah,” Kutub Uddin told journalists.
Besides, Azam Khan Chowdhury, former joint general secretary of Chattogram North District unit of BNP and former General Secretary of Rangunia upazila unit of BNP will also seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
“I will seek party nomination to contest the next election. If the election is held in a free, fair and impartial manner, I will win the seat,” he said.
Apart from him (Azam Khan Chowdhury), Shawkat Ali Nur, member of Chattogram North District unit of BNP and Rangunia upazila unit of BNP also wants a party nomination to contest the next general election.
However, leaders of other parties, including the opposition Jatiya Party, JatiyaSamajtantrik Dal have not launched campaigns yet in the Chattogram-7 constituency.
Although Jamaat-e-Islami was disqualified from contesting elections, its high command asked the local leaders and workers to work together in order to strengthen the party’s organisational activities in the constituency, according to locals.
If the party is allowed to join polls, it will field candidates to contest the next general elections.
