Feuds between incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Razee Mohammad and Debidwar upazila Chairman AbulKalam Azad may take a serious turn in the local politics of Awami League (AL) of Cumill-4 constituency, local politicians and members of civil society have said.
The feuds have been there over the years for control of AL politics in the locality.
So, the ruling AL has got enough to worry about for the next polls in this constituency.
The party failure to choose the right candidate, intra-party feud at local level and political clout of AL high-ups are key factors for making the organisational activities in Cumilla-4 vulnerable, locals said.
Razee Mohammad Fakhrul of AL has been representing the party in the National Parliament from Cumilla-4 constituency since 2014.
Razee Mohammad, son of AL advisory board member and former minister AFM Fakhrul Islam Munshi contested the general election held in 2014 as an independent candidate and became the MP.
Later he joined AL and got the party ticket to contest the 11th national election.
He (Razee Mohammad) fought with AL electoral symbol ‘Boat’ and became the MP again.
His father AFM Fakhrul Islam Munshi was elected to parliament from Comilla-4 as a Jatiya Party candidate in 1986 and 1988.
He served as the Minister of Shipping and Finance in the cabinet of late President Hussain Mohammad Ershad. He joined Awami League after his term ended.
Intra-party feud among the leaders and workers of local AL in the constituency deteriorated further due to the activities of incumbent Razee Mohammad Fakhrul, local politicians and people said.
“Razee Mohammad Fakhrul was responsible for creating a suffocating situation that led to fuelling the intra-party feud in our constituency. He beat up local leaders and workers and misbehaved with them frequently,” a grassroots leader preferring not to be named told the reporters.
Razee Mohammad Fakhrul last year punched and kicked Debidwar upazila chairman AbulKalam Azad during a meeting at the LD Hall of JatiyaSangsadBhaban, stirring up resentment among the local AL leaders and activists.
Aggrieved grassroots leaders of Cumilla (north) AL, demanded of the party high command to expel him in the greater interest of the party’s organisational activities of Cumilla-4 constituency.
Simultaneously, he (Razee Mohammad) became isolated from the mass people as he continued fuelling the intra-party feud in order to establish supremacy over the constituency.
As a result, AL’s organisational activities in the locality became volatile there.
However, talking to journalists the incumbent MP Razee Mohammad Fakhrul said he will seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
“I’m confident that the party high command will nominate me again to contest the upcoming poll. And I’m sure the people of the constituency will cast their votes in favour of me. So, I will win the next national election again from my constituency,” he said.
Apart from incumbent MP Razee Mohammad, Debidwar upazila Chairman and Cumilla North district Organising Secretary AbulKalam Azad will also seek party nomination to contest the upcoming parliamentary election.
AbulKalam Azad said he along with 15 UP chairmen, AL grassroots leaders and workers has been working hard in the constituency since long to materialise the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“As a worker of Sheikh Hasina I’m working for my party. I think my leader will evaluate me this time and give me the nomination to contest the 12th general election. And I’m sure I shall win the poll as people love me,” AbulKalam Azad said.
Besides, Cumilla North district AL General Secretary Rowshan Ali Master will also seek party nomination to contest the next poll.
“I’m interested in contesting the next poll. So, I shall seek my party nomination. I believe people will cast their vote in my favour as they want to get rid of this suffocating situation,” Rowshan Ali Master said.
According to local politicians and civil society members, intra-party feud and selection of ‘wrong candidate’ may cause the ruling AL to suffer a humiliating defeat in the next general election.
Although BNP leaders are maintaining silence policy in the constituency, the political landscape of the constituency-4 is going to heat up soon as the nomination seekers of the next general elections have started kicking off their campaigns
Simultaneously the BNP aspirants are staging demonstrations, rallies and meetings as part of their ‘one-point’ movement with the goal to remove the AL from the power to hold the upcoming national elections under a neutral government in the constituency.
On the other hand, if BNP joins the upcoming election Manjurul Ahsan Munshi will seek party nomination to contest the poll.
If he (Manjurul Ahsan Munshi) fails to contest the next national election as he is facing various cases, his wife Mazeda Ahsan will seek party (BNP) nomination to contest the upcoming poll.
Besides, the incumbent AL lawmaker MP Razee Mohammad’s uncle AFM TarequeMunshi will seek BNP nomination to contest the next general election.
AFM TarequeMunshi, President of the Hong Kong unit of BNP and member secretary of Cumilla North district unit of BNP will also seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
Iqbal Hossain Razu, Vice Chairman of Jatiya Party will seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
Ivy Ahmed, daughter of Professor Mozaffar Ahmed and President of National Awami Party will contest the next general election from this constituency.
Saiful Islam Shaheed, Cumilla North district Jamaat Secretary will seek party nomination to contest the upcoming general poll if Jamaat is allowed to participate in the poll.
They all are holding views-exchange meetings, discussions and various programmes with grassroots leaders and activists to make them united and motivated for working for the candidates who will bag their respective party tickets.
The constituency encompasses Debidwar upazila.
The constituency was created for the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973.
AL candidate SerajulHaque contested the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973 and became the lawmaker from the constituency.
BNP candidate DewanSirajulHuq contested the general election held in 1979 and won the seat.
BNP candidate Manjurul Ahsan Munshi contested the three consecutive general elections held in 1991, 1996 and 2002 and became the MP from the constituency thrice.
ABM Ghulam Mostafa of AL contested the general election held in 2008 and won the seat.
As the general election approaches, the nomination seekers have started shows of strength through meetings and mass contacts.
They have set up big banners and posters at the important points in the constituency, intersections of highways and roads, and on boundary walls.
Containing the images of the candidates, various colourful posters have already been pasted across the constituency.
Candidates are also travelling to different parts of the constituency as part of their hectic electioneering.
They are also using the photographs of their respective political party chiefs in their posters.
