With hardly three months and 15 days to go for the general elections enthusiastic political activists, leaders and general public are found taking interests in discussing the outcome of the next election.
Such political discussions are now common in mostly tea stalls, restaurants, bus, train stations, offices and in most other public places.
Election Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman on Saturday said the 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections will be held in the first week of January, 2024 and the schedule will be announced in next November .
In view of this, like in other constituencies, race for nomination has also intensified significantly in Brahmanbaria-1 as the potential candidates believe the next polls will be held on time.
Leaders of Awami League (AL), Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiya Party and other political parties have started preparing the ground for the upcoming parliamentary elections as the next elections will be very crucial.
Only the the deserving candidates having sufficient potential are likely to be nominated.
BM Farhad Hossain of ruling AL has been representing in the National Parliament from Brahmanbaria-1 constituency since 2018. The constituency encompasses Nasirnagar upazila.
Meanwhile, an internal conflict within the ruling party - AL has intensified in the constituency. The local leaders and activists from the top to the grassroots have been frequently found indulging themselves in tug of war centering getting nomination.
Such political brawls, literally on a daily basis, among the local AL leaders and their supporters have led to several groups simply centering the nomination issue.
However, BNP’s image on getting nomination for the parliamentary election is far better in this regard.
As the battle to get party ticket among their probable candidates intensifies, the top leaders of both, AL and BNP have also increased their efforts to contain intra-party conflicts and strengthen organizational capacity of the political parties.
The leaders and key political figures in the district are now found busy holding views-exchange meetings, discussions and various programmes with grassroots leaders and activists to generate opinion and also motivate public in their favour.
However, leaders of other political parties, including the opposition Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) have not launched campaigns yet in the constituency.
On the other side, BNP candidates are also staging demonstrations, rallies and meetings as part of their ‘one-point’ movement with the goal to remove AL from power to hold the upcoming national elections under a neutral government.
The incumbent lawmaker BM Farhad Hossain has already expressed his willingness to get AL nomination for contesting the next general election.
Besides, Central Krishak League Finance Affairs Secretary Mohammad Nazir Mia and his wife Roma Akhtar who is Nasirnagar upazila unit AL Senior Vice President, are likely to seek nomination to contest the next general election.
Nasirnagar upazila unit AL President ATM Moniruzzaman Sarkar and AKM Alamgir Vice-President of USA unit of AL will also seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
Besides, central AL leader MA Karim and local leaders Imran Haye Jabed and MI Kamal will also seek party tickets to contest the next general election, party insiders told this correspondent.
On the other hand, sources said that BNP chairperson’s advisor Syed AK Ekramuzzaman may seek party nomination to contest the next general election if BNP joins the next national poll.
Meanwhile, Kamruzzaman Mamun in a press conference recently announced that he would seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
Nasirnagar upazila Jatiya Party Convener Mohammad Shahnul Karim Garibullah Selim will seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
Bangladesh Islami Front leader Mohammad Islam Uddin Dulal, Nizam-e-Islam Party Mawlana AKM Ashraful Haque and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal leader Mohammad Bakul Khan also want to contest the next general election.
The constituency was created in 1984 from the Comilla-6 constituency when the former Cumilla District was split into three districts - Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, and Chandpur.
Ahead of the 2008 general election, the Election Commission had outlined the boundaries of the constituency 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 reduced the boundaries of the constituency.
Previously the constituency had included three union parishads of Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila (after 2010, the new Bijoynagar upazila)--udhanti, Chandura, and Harashpur.
In the meantime, the nomination seekers have set up big banners and posters at the important points in the constituency, intersections of highways and road, and on boundary walls.
In its recent development works the government has constructed different educational institutions, mosques, temples, rural roads, bridges, culverts and other infrastructures in Brahmanbaria -1.
The construction of the roads, bridges, culverts and other infrastructures has improved rural communication networks to facilitate farm and non-farm economy and upgraded the standard of people’s lives through providing easier and quicker access to basic service delivery centers like schools and hospitals in this constituency.
Local people said they will cast their votes in favour of a worthy candidate who would raise his or her voices in fulfilling major demands of the local people and for continuity of the current development spree in their constituency.