At least 15 ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers, who are contesting the upcoming national election, are going to face tough battle of ballot from independent candidates of their own party (ruling Awami League).
According to EC sources, these influential independent candidates had not withdrawn nomination papers even after the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers as they had no pressure from the party high-ups.
Currently, apart from the Prime Minister, there are 23 ministers, 18 state ministers and three deputy ministers in the present cabinet.
All of them except three ministers got party tickets for the 12th parliamentary elections slated for January 7.
Party sources hinted that there will be less competition in other constituencies where incumbent ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers are contesting the polls even if they are facing multiple candidates.
Unlike these ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers are facing hard contest from the rival leaders contesting the polls as independent candidates. Because some of them are former MPs, some have left the post of chairman of Upazila Parishad for contesting the polls while many others are popular local AL leaders.
In these constituencies, ministers have to fight against these strong independent candidates contesting the polls from their own parties.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque is contesting the polls in the Gazipur-1 constituency. Independent candidate for the constituency is Rezaul Karim. He is the General Secretary of Kaliakair Upazila unit of the party.
Local sources claimed that the former mayor of Gazipur City Corporation Jahangir Alam is backing Rezaul Karim.
Education Minister and AL Joint General Secretary Dipu Moni is the incumbent MP from Chandpur-3 constituency. She got the party nomination this year also.
Shamshul Haque Bhuiyan is contesting the polls as independent candidate for this seat. He is the former president of district AL and former MP.
A group of district AL leaders are working in favour of Shamshul Haque Bhuiyan.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister SHM Rezaul Karim got AL nomination for Pirojpur-1 constituency. Pirojpur district AL president and former MP AKM Abdul Awal is an independent candidate for the same seat. A clash between activists and supporters of the two candidates has already left one dead.
AL candidate for Narsingdi-4 constituency is Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun. But Saiful Islam Khan, the five-time chairman of Manohardi Upazila Parishad, is contesting the polls as independent candidate there. He recently resigned as Upazila chairman to participate in the election. become a candidate.
Lalmonirhat district AL Vice-President Sirajul Haque is competing with Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed in Lalmonirhat-2 seat. Local AL sources said that Mahbubuzzaman Ahmed, who is the Chairman of Kaliganj Upazila Parishad, also the younger brother of Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed, is supporting the independent candidate against his own brother.
AL candidate for Naogaon-1 seat is Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar. But Khalekuzzaman, member of Niamatpur Upazila AL and five-time elected chairman of Chandannagar Union Parishad, is competing with him as an independent candidate.
AL candidate in Netrokona-2 constituency is State Minister of Social Welfare Md. Ashraf Ali Khan. He is the former general secretary of Netrokna district AL. Along with him, former Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, footballer Arif Khan Joy is contesting there an independent candidate.
Arif Khan and his family members are also involved in the ruling party politics.
AL candidate in Rajshahi-6 constituency is State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam. But Rahenul Haque, member of AL district unit and former MP, is also contesting there as an independent candidate.
AL candidate in Natore-3 constituency is Information and Communication Technology State Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak. Shafiqul Islam, who recently resigned as chairman of Singra Upazila Parishad, is contesting for the same seat as an independent candidate.
AL candidate for Habiganj-4 seat is Civil Aviation State Minister Mahbub Ali. Former Jubo League leader Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque is contesting there as an independent candidate.
AL candidate in Dhaka-19 constituency is State Minister for Relief and Disaster Management Dr Enamur Rahman. He is facing hard contest from former parliamentarian Talukder Md. Tauhid Jang. His father was also former MP elected from the same constituency.
AL leader Kazi Alim Uddin and Jubo League leader Saiful Islam are contesting as independent candidates against AL candidate Youth and Sports Minister Zahid Ahsan Rasel in the Gazipur-constituency.
AL candidate for Jamalpur-2 constituency is State Minister for Religion Faridul Haque Khan. Jamalpur district AL advisors Ziaul Haque and Sajahan Ali Mondal are independent candidates for the seat.
Former Presidents of Meherpur District AL and former parliamentarians Abdul Mannan and Joynal Abedin are contesting as independent candidates with State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain in Meherpur-1 seat.
Jubo League presidium member Khaled Shaukat Ali is contesting as independent candidate against Water Resources Deputy Minister Enamul Haque Shamim in Shariatpur-2 constituency.
He is the son of former Deputy Speaker Shaukat Ali.
The ruling Awami League is remaining flexible about independent candidates. As a result, local party leaders and activists are openly backing many independent candidates.