The nomination seekers in Habiganj -4 constituency have stepped up campaigns in a bid to convince their party high-ups for party tickets, even though the general election is still over four months and 15 days away.
Mahbub Ali ofruling Awami League has been representing the Habiganj-4 constituency in the National Parliament since 2014.
The constituency encompasses Chunarughat and Madhabpurupazilas. In Habiganj-4 constituency, there are a total of 4, 27,525 voters.
The constituency was created in 1984 from the Sylhet-17 constituency when the former Sylhet district was split into four districts: Sunamganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj.
Ahead of the 2008 general election, the Election Commission redrew constituency boundaries to reflect population changes revealed by the 2001 Bangladesh census.
The 2008 redistricting altered the boundaries of the constituency.
Syed Mohammad Qaisar of Jatiya Party became the Member of Parliament in 1986.
Awami League candidate EnamulHaque Mostafa Shahid contested general elections held in 1991 and won the Habiganj-4 constituency.
He (EnamulHaque) also contested three general elections held in 1996, 2001 and 2008 and won the seat thrice from this constituency again.
EnamulHaque Mostafa Shahid, also a former social welfare minister, died on February 25 in 2016.
EnamulHaque, an Ekushey Award laureate, was very popular among tea garden workers alongside local people.
As he (EnamulHaque) had been suffering from various old age complications, the Awami League high command fielded MdMahbub Ali as party candidate to contest the national elections held in 2014 and 2018 respectively.
He contested the polls and won the seat twice. Later MdMahbub Ali was made civil aviation and tourism minister in January in 2019.
Therefore, this constituency is known as a stronghold of the ruling Awami League.
But, the occurrence of intra-party feuds in the Awami League has taken a serious turn across the constituency.
Ruling party leaders and activists are engaged in infighting to establish supremacy in their respective areas and grab party posts.
So, the incumbent lawmaker MdMahbub Ali has been facing difficulties in rejuvenating the party organisational activities in the constituency.
But, leaders close to him (Mahbub Ali) claimed that the state minister has almost resolved the misunderstanding with the local leaders through repeatedly visiting the area and holding meetings with the dissidents.
Meanwhile, many areas of Chunarughat and Madhabpurupazilas under the constituency are replete with posters, billboards and banners of nomination seekers of Awami League, 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 a party ticket among their probable candidates is getting fierce, the top district leaders of Awami League and BNP have also intensified their efforts to contain intra-party conflicts and strengthen their parties’ organisational capacity.
They 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.
The constituency is known as a stronghold of Awami League as its leader and current state minister for civil aviation and tourism MdMahbub Ali was elected MP for two consecutive times since 2014.
Therefore, Mahbub Ali will seek party nomination to contest the next general elections from this constituency again.
Apart from MdMahbub Ali, a number of Awami League leaders, including Akbar Hossain Zitu, former President of Chunarughat upazila unit of Awami league and Barrister Syed SayedulHaqueSumon, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer and former Legal Affairs Secretary of Jubo League central committee, have also started mass contact and various social works for getting party nomination.
Besides, Mohammad Zakir Hossain Chowdhury Ashim, Joint General Secretary of Habiganj district unit of Awami League will also seek party nomination to contest the next general elections.
The incumbent lawmaker and leader of Awami League talking to journalists said the people have full confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the country will be a developed one and also reach its targeted goal within the stipulated time under her leadership.
They said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s daughter Sheikh Hasina has mammothly developed the country through poverty alleviation and as per the declaration of the premier the country will be a rich nation by 2041.
Talking to reporters Barrister Syed SayedulHaqueSumon said he had sought nomination in the country’s two past general elections held in 2014 and 2018.
“I will also seek a party nomination this time. I have been working personally in order to develop my constituency. People believe if I get a party nomination, I will get a record number of votes and win,” he said.
Akbar Hossain Zitu claimed that he is much more popular than the incumbent lawmaker Mahbub Ali.
“The grassroots leaders and activists want me to see the Member of Parliament in this constituency. Therefore, I will seek party nomination to contest the national elections. And I believe I will surely win the seat,” he said.
Although the BNP is yet to make a decision to join the next parliamentary elections, many BNP leaders are silently taking preparations for the polls.
The BNP leaders and workers are contacting about the elections and looking for a way to participate in the elections.
Of them, Syed Mohammad Faisal, a former lawmaker of BNP and President of Habiganj district unit of BNP is likely to seek party nomination if BNP joins the next general elections.
He (Mohammad Faisal) is working silently in the constituency.
Local BNP leaders said they could not win the elections in the seat due to severe intra-party conflicts and failure to install a single candidate.
They hoped their party high command would be able to give a single candidate in the next polls to ensure its victory.
Country’s people know the upcoming general election will be a challenge as various conspiracies are being orchestrated before the polls.
Bangladesh is likely to hold a general election in December this year or in January next year.
The ruling Awami League wants BNP’s participation in the next general election.
All think the next parliamentary polls will not be participatory unless BNP joins the election.
Campaign activities for Awami League candidates in the constituency are energetic but supporters of non-ruling party candidates, particularly the BNP and Jamaat, was hardly seen electioneering.
There was an uneasy calm and many kept themselves carefully away from campaigning or even discussing the next general elections.
On the other hand, leaders and activists are hardly seen in the field.
Therefore, no leader of Jatiya Party is prominently in the limelight in the constituency yet.
Besides, Jamaat-e-Islam will field an independent candidate in the next general elections as the party is not allowed to participate in the elections.