The 12th general election is taking place today when a bunch of sports stars and sports organizers are contesting the National Poll of them cricketer Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza are the two prominent and popular figures in the cricket arena.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, former national cricket captain, who is running M P from Norail constituency-2 also the candidature from the same constituency of the ruling party Bangladesh Awami League.
Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently the captain of Bangladesh’s one-day team, is ranked the number one all-rounder by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in two of the three formats of the game simultaneously – one-day internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 – and is ranked third in Test matches, got Awami League nomination from Magura-1 constituency.
Besides Shakib and Mashrafe, some of the former national players and organisers are also contesting the general election from different constituencies.
However, apart from the players, some heavyweight organisers are also running lawmakers and they are in the poll fray as AL candidates from different constituencies.
Zahid Ahsan Russel, incumbent State Minister for Youth and Sports is the candidate of Gazipur- 2, when it is second time for Russel.
Among the organisers, three vice-president of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) are also contesting in the election from different constituencies when the BCB president and directors are also contenders for the Member of Parliament.
Nazmul Hassan Papon, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), AHM Mostafa Kamal, former BCB president and incumbent Finance Minister of the ruling government, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, former BCB president, Kazi Nabi Ahmed, senior Vice-president of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), Abdus Salam Murshedi, vice-president of the BFF, Ataur Rahman Manik vice-president of the BFF,
Shafiul Alam Chowdhury, director of the BCB, Salman F Rahman, Chairman of Abahani Limited (Dhaka), Ataur Rahman Manik vice-president of BFF are also contesting the polsl.
Nazmul Hassan Papon a running Law Maker of the ruling party is contesting from Kishoreganj- 6, AHM Mostafa Kamal is a candidate from Cumilla-10, Saber Hossain Chowdhury is from Dhaka- 9.
Among the BFF high ups Kazi Nabil, also the Director In Charge of Abahani Limited is candidate from Jashore-3, Abdus Salam Murshedi from Khulna-4.
Besides the BFF and BCB high ups, Nasrul Hamid Bipu, former hockey player and the State Minister for Energy and Resources and Shahriar Alam, director of Abahani Limited and former high ups of the Bangladesh Tennis Federation are the candidates of ruling party Bangladesh Awami League are contesting from the Dhaka-3 and Rajshahi 6 respectively.
Former athletes and the vice-president of the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) Mahbub Ara Gini got the nomination of Awami League from Gaibandha 2.
Meanwhile, Naimur Rahman Durjoy, the first Test captain of Bangladesh, who was member of the Parliament from Manikganj-2 in the last tenure, did not get nomination this time.
Former national football team’s captain Arif Khan Joy did not get nomination when the former State Minister for Youth and Sports was elected the member of the Parliament from Netrokona-2 in 2014.
Dewan Shafiul Arefin Tutul, another former national football star and also the member of the sports wing of the Bangladesh Awami League central committee did not get nomination from Manikganj-2.