Businessman Yussuf Abdullah Harun has been representing in the National Parliament from Cumilla-3 constituency as a lawmaker since 2014. The constituency encompasses Muradnagar upazila. He was elected to parliament in 2014 as an independent candidate.
Later, he joined Awami League (AL) and got the party ticket to contest in the last general election held in 2018 from the constituency Cumilla-3. He won the seat and became the Member of Parliament (MP) again.
He was Chairman of Southeast Bank Limited, President of FBCCI twice and Director of Infrastructure Development Company Limited.
He was also Vice President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Confederation of Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Cumilla-3 constituency has a total of 4, 85,053 voters--2, 52,508 men and 2, 32,543 women. The constituency was created for the first general elections in newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973.
Wali Ahmed was elected to parliament from Comilla-3 as an AL candidate in the first general election in the newly independent Bangladesh, held in 1973. BNP candidate Harun-or-Rashid contested the general election held in 1979 and won the seat.
Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad got Jatiya Party ticket and contested the general election held in 1986. And he became the MP from the seat.
BNP candidate Rafiqul Islam Miah contested the general elec
tion held in 1991 and won the seat.
But, Jatiya Party candidate Kazi Shah MofazzalHossain Kaikobad contested the general election held in 1996 and regained the seat. However, he (MofazzalHossain) left Jatiya Party and joined BNP.
So, he got BNP ticket to contest the general election held in 2001 and won the seat again.
Kaikobad, a fugitive accused in the 21 August grenade attack, has been hiding in Saudi Arabia.
He (Kaikobad) flew to Singapore a day after the 21 August carnage. He has been absconding since then. The incumbent AL MP Yussuf Abdullah Harun will seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
“With sincere and relentless efforts by the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Cumilla-3 constituency has changed because of the implementation of massive development projects,” Yussuf Abdullah Harun told local journalists.
He said that huge development is visible in all sectors, including agriculture, education, health and infrastructure, in the constituency in the last 14 years and eight months under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visionary leadership.
Common people of the constituency are now enjoying the benefits of these developments.
“There was no such development during the tenure of any government in the past. I shall seek my party nomination to contest the next general election from this constituency. I’m confident party high command will evaluate me as I’m still doing everything for the betterment of the people here. If I get the party ticket and contest the next poll I’m sure I will win the seat again,” he claimed.
“Because of the tremendous development, people of the constituency will vote again for ‘boat' in the next general election”, he added.
Apart from him, Jahangir Alam Sarkar, former General Secretary of North Cumilla district unit of AL will also seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
According to local leaders and workers, Jahangir Alam Sarkar has already started his efforts in the area, with engaging himself in lobbying and seeking favours from the party high command.
On the other hand, Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad now absconding wants to get BNP ticket to contest the next general election if the party joins poll, according local BNP leaders and workers.
If he (Kaikobad) does not return home to avert arrest, his brother KM MujibulHaque will seek party nomination to contest the next general election, grassroots leaders said.
Apart from them, Barrister Sarkar Mohammad Rashedul Hasan Mamun, former Assistant General Secretary of Bangladesh JatiyatabadiAinjibi Forum (BJAF), a body of pro-BNP lawyers, will also seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
“If Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad fails to contest the next general election for some reasons, I shall seek party nomination. If get party ticket and contest the upcoming poll, I will win the seat Inshallah,” he told journalists.
Akhtar Hossain, a Jatiya Party leader, is also now very active in the constituency as he wants to seek party nomination to contest the next general election.
Although Jamaat-e-Islami was disqualified from contesting elections, its high command asked the local leaders and workers to work together in order to strengthen the party’s organisational activities in the constituency, according to locals.
If the party is allowed to join polls, it will field candidate to contest the next general elections.
Yousuf Hakim Sohel, a local Jamaat leader, will seek party nomination to contest the next general election in this regard.
Therefore, leaders of AL, BNP, Jatiya Party and Jamaat are in the race to get nominations from their respective parties for Cumilla -3, known as a stronghold of the BNP-Jamaat, in the next general election.
As the country’s 12th national poll approaches, the election euphoria is already visible in Cumilla-3 constituency with the hectic campaign by nomination seekers of the major parties to woo their party high-ups for party tickets.
The election will be held in the first week of January next.
Many areas of Muradnagar upazila are replete with posters, billboards and banners of nomination seekers of AL BNP and other parties.
The aspiring candidates vying for nominations and their supporters have hit the campaign trail by conducting mass contact and distributing leaflets to manifest their popularity alongside keeping in close touch with their party high-ups to ensure their nomination.
They have also become active in social and organisational activities.
As the battle to get party ticket among their probable candidates is getting fierce, the top district leaders of AL and BNP have also intensified their efforts to contain intra-party conflicts and strengthen their parties’ organisational capacity.
They all are holding views-exchange meetings, discussions and various programmes with grassroots leaders and activists to make them united and motivated for working for the candidates who will bag their respective party tickets.
However, leaders of other parties, including the opposition Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, JatiyaSamajtantrik Dal (JSD) have not launched campaigns yet in the in the constituency.
But both the local AL and BNP have been divided into several groups over nominations.
On the other side, BNP aspirants are also staging demonstrations, rallies and meetings as part their ‘one-point’ movement with the goal to remove AL from the power to hold the upcoming national elections under a neutral government
A cross section of locals said those who support the BNP or the Jamaat-e-Islami have either kept themselves away from campaigning or have started electioneering for the AL to “avert police trouble or harassment”, according to local people.
Though the two major political camps remain rigid on their stances over the contentious issue of polls-time administration, they are making preparations for the 12th parliamentary election, according locals.
This time AL will try hard to retain the constituency while BNP to regain.
However, BNP is internally preparing for the election in the constituency.
BNP is a big political party and its leaders also want to take part in the polls, local BNP leaders and activists said.
Therefore, nomination seekers of AL and BNP have already started passing their hectic days through polls campaigning in the constituency
They have also started showdown through meetings and mass contacts.
