Leaders of different political parties including Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have started campaigning to get party nominations to contest the next general election from Chattogram-12 constituency.
ShamsulHaque Chowdhury of the ruling AL has been representing the party in the National Parliament since 2008.
The constituency encompasses all but five union parishads of Patiya upazila: Bara Uthan, Char Lakshya, Char Patharghata, Juldha, and Sikalbaha.
The constituency was created for the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973.
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.
Thus Chattogram-12 covers the area previously covered by Chittagong-11.
Previously Chattogram-12 encompassed Anowara upazila and five union parishads of Patiya upazila: Bara Uthan, Char Lakshya, Char Patharghata, Juldha, and Sikalbaha.
AL candidate Nurul Islam contested the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973, and became the Member of Parliament (MP).
BNP candidate Nazrul Islam contested the national poll held in 1979 and won the seat. National Awami Party candidate Chowdhury Harunur Rashid contested the general election held in 1986 and became the lawmaker while Jatiya Party candidate Sirajul Islam contested the national poll held in 1988 and won the seat.
Md Shah Chowdhury was elected MP from this constituency as a BNP candidate in the general election held in 1991.
BNP candidate Gazi Mohammad Shahjahan Jewell contested the general election held in 1996 and became the lawmaker from the constituency.
He (Shahjahan Jewell) also contested the national poll held in 2001 and became MP again.
But, AL’s current MP and JatiyaSangsad Whip SamshulHaque Chowdhury contested the three consecutive general elections held in 2008, 2014 and 2018 and won the seat three times.
Candidates for nomination in Chattogram-12 Constituency (Patiya) are AL incumbent MP SamshulHaque Chowdhury, BadiulAlam, former MP ChemonAraTaiyab and Mohammad Nasir, Cultural Affairs Secretary of Chattogram district (south) unit of AL and Major General (Rtd) Alauddin MA WadudBirProtik.
Besides, Professor Harunur Rashid, General Secretary of Patiya upazila unit of AL, AL leader Nazir Ahmed, Al leader Zulkarnain Chowdhury Jibon and Satyajit Das Ropu will also seek party (AL) nomination to contest the next general election.
Apart from them, Aiyub Babul, mayor of Patiya municipality and Prodip Das, organising secretary of Chattogram district (South) have already expressed their willingness to get party (AL) tickets.
Talking to journalists, BadiulAlam, Joint General Secretary of Juba League central committee, accused the incumbent lawmaker SamshulHaque Chowdhury of fueling intra-party feud in the constituency.
“We leaders and workers of Awami League here are divided into several groups due to incumbent lawmaker SamshulHaque’s autocratic attitude. We want to free ourselves from the clutches of SamshulHaque. People love me and want to see me as an MP. Therefore, I will seek party nomination to contest the next general election,” he added.
Zulkarnain Chowdhury Jibon said he will seek party nomination to contest the next general poll.
“I believe if my party (AL) gives me a nomination, I will win the polls. AL needs a strong candidate who can defeat the BNP-Jamaat candidate here. I think I have the capacity as people trust me to defeat the BNP-Jamaat candidate,” he said.
On the other hand, BNP’s EnamulHaqueEnam and former MP GaziShahjahan Jewell will seek party nomination if BNP joins the next poll.
But, leaders and activists of BNP are waiting for the party’s high command decision.
Activities of opposition Jatiya Party are hardly seen in the locality till date.
But, the party (Jatiya Party) will field its candidate to contest the next general election.
Jamaat-e-Islam, however, is yet to announce its candidate for Chattogram constituency-12.
It is learnt that three leaders of Jamaat-e-Islam are likely to seek party nomination to contest upcoming national elections.
The high command of Jamaat-e-Islam will disclose its candidate name for the Chattogram constituency-12 if the party is allowed to participate in the next general elections.
As the next general elections are drawing closer, scenes of euphoria and festivity are seen in Chattogram constituency-12 like other parts of the country.
Therefore, local leaders of AL, BNP, Jatiya Party and other political parties have already begun lobbying for party nomination to contest the upcoming national election in their constituency.
They are also greeting the local people and wishing them on various occasions.
Besides, a certain section of common people, including young voters, are taking interest in electioneering of candidates, having achieved to gain the confidence that the election will be held in a peaceful, credible and competitive manner.
However, the expected level of election excitement, that should have been witnessed by this time, is still missing as all the political parties are still not there in the field with their full strength.
It seems they are conserving energy to use that at the last moment.
The root level politicians are also lobbying and contacting central party leaders to get party nominations.
These intending candidates also pasted posters in the different places of the constituency, seeking blessings from the voters ahead of the elections.
They are also upholding the country’s existing development spree alongside making the party (AL) stronger and well-organised at the grassroots so that it could remain in power to keep running the continuity of development.
