Selima Ahmad, an entrepreneur and business leader, has been representing in the National Parliament from Cumilla-2 constituency as a Member of Parliament of ruling Awami League since 2019.
The constituency encompasses Homna and Meghnaupazilas. 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 renewed constituency boundaries to reflect population changes revealed by the 2001 Bangladesh census.
The 2008 redistricting altered the boundaries of the constituency.
Selima Ahmad MP, also President and founder of Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Vice Chairperson of Nitol-Niloy Group has been working to bring smiles on the people’s face of the constituency for the last four years and eight months.
But, talking to journalists, leaders and activists of Awami League said Selima is not capable enough to develop their constituency.
“She (Selima Ahmad) doesn't even have much communication with the locals. As a result, locals don’t want to see her as MP again,” a local AL leader said, preferring anonymity.
So, Cumilla-2 Awami League has been divided into three factions.
“There are three factions in the Cumilla-2 constituency as Cumilla district unit of
Awami League could not strengthen the organisation due to the internal conflict. The local leaders and workers failed to rejuvenate the party’s organisational activities here due to the intra-
party feud,” a grassroots worker said.
The incumbent lawmaker Selima Ahmad is leading a faction while Presidents of
Homna and Meghnaupazila units of Awami League Principal Abdul Mazid and Mohammad Shafiqul Islam respectively are leading their respective factions. The all three will seek party nomination to contest the next general election.Since 2018, many Awami League leaders and activists are not happy with the party’s high command for giving nomination to Selima Ahmed.
According to local politicians and civil society members, intra-party feud and
selection of ‘wrong candidate’ may cause the ruling Awami League to suffer a humiliating defeat in the next general election.
However, the incumbent lawmaker Selima Ahmed claimed there is no intra-party feud in the constituency.
“I along with Abdul Mazid have been working hard to develop our constituency. I’m travelling thought the constituency to see the people’s condition and always
staying with them,” she said.
Replying to a query Selima Ahmed said she will seek nomination to contest the
next general election like in the 2018 general election.
Abdul Mazid said he will seek party nomination to contest the next parliamentary poll.
“If I get party ticket and contest the next poll, I will win the seat by a large margin,” he added.
Shafiqul Islam said he played crucial role in establishing the Meghnaupazila and
strengthening Awami League organisational activities in the constituency.
“The leaders and workers of Awami League here are united under my leadership. I
have made the constituency Awami League stronghold. If my party high command
nominates me to contest the next general election, I will win the seat,” he said.
On the other hand, following the death of BNP standing committee member and
former minister MK Anwar in 2017, the party (BNP) is now also divided into
different factions due to lack of leadership.
Retiring from government service as cabinet secretary in 1990, Anwar joined the BNP and was elected MP from Cumilla’sHomna constituency for several times.
Local BNP leaders and activists are confused as they are still in the dark that who is the leader of BNP of Cumilla-2 constituency? And, who is the leader of their movement there?
They (BNP leaders) are divided into different factions now.If the intra-party conflict is not resolved either BNP standing committee member
KhandakerMosharraf Hossain or his son KhandakerMaruf Hossain may get party
ticket to contest the next general election.
Talking to reporters KhandakerMosharraf Hossain said that their party will not join any election, be it parliamentary or local government ones, under the current government.
“However, if my party (BNP) joins the next poll, like in the past I shall seek
nomination to contest the next general election from Cumilla-1 and Cumilla-2 ,” he said.
Apart from the father and son, Abdul Matin, former personal secretary to BNP
Chairperson Khaleda Zia, will also seek party nomination to contest the next
general election.
IslamiOikyaJote Joint Secretary General Altaf Hossain and Shafiq Ahmed Islami,
Organising Secretary of IslamiAndolan Bangladesh will also seek their respective parties' nomination to contest the next general election.
On the other hand, the Jatiya Party, the main opposition in parliament, will also
field candidate to contest the next general election.
Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the largest fundamentalist parties in Bangladesh, was recently seen very much active, holding public meetings, protest rallies and other activities.
Although the Jamaat has not been allowed to participate in the national election, its leaders and workers are taking preparation to contest the next general election.
If the party is allowed to participate in the polls, it will field its candidate to contest the next general election, according to local politicians and party insiders.
Therefore, the intending candidates of the ruling Awami League and other political parties are making hectic efforts to get nomination from their respective parties for the Member of Parliament race in the next general election from Cumilla-2 constituency.
Although BNP still maintains that it will not contest polls under the Sheikh Hasina government, party leaders are preparing for the next general election secretly and silently, according locals and party insiders.
Once, this constituency was known as BNP-Jamaat’sstronghold.But now Awami League has established its supremacy in the constituency.
According to insiders, the hopeful nomination seekers are trying to woo the top brass of their parties for nomination as the next national election is expected to be held in the first week of January next.
Talking to journalists, locals say if the BNP joins the next general election, the
main battle will be between “boat” and “sheaf of paddy”, electoral symbols of the AL and BNP, respectively.
Some policymakers of the AL, the party in power for three consecutive terms,
share the idea that the BNP will participate in the election.
Campaign activities for Awami League candidates in the constituency are
energetic but supporters of non-ruling party candidates, particularly the BNP and Jamaat are hardly seen electioneering.
