AL may face rebel trouble

With the municipal polls about a month away, grassroots leaders of the ruling Awami League are posing as each other's rivals for mayoral posts at many municipalities.

Though such rivalry was commonplace in past elections too, the trouble over possible rebel candidates may only get bigger this time as the polls to 245 municipalities would be held in partisan manner, unlike in the past.

In many municipalities, multiple leaders announced that they would vie for the post of mayor in the polls, likely to be held in the last week of December.

Posters of many mayoral hopefuls have already been hung while the aspirants themselves have launched informal, door to door campaigns. In some areas, they promised to remain in the race even if they fail to get party support.

To make matters worse, some lawmakers and local influential leaders have sided with the candidates of their liking.

The party high-ups are worried. They think they would not get the desired results if they fail to field a single candidate for the post in each municipality. The party has not yet picked any candidate.

Contacted, AL Organising Secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury admitted that having so many candidates is a major concern. "But we are hopeful that we can solve the problem organisationally."

He warned of "serious organisational actions" against dissidents.

The party will form committees in district and upazila levels to pick candidates in the respective areas for the mayoral posts. "Seven committees will be formed in the seven divisions to monitor the candidate-selection process."

An intelligence agency has already informed the government about the AL infighting over the upcoming polls. In several reports to the home ministry recently, the agency warned that the law and order may worsen in different parts of the country at any time due to the infighting.

A tense situation is prevailing in some municipalities, and tension may rise further after the announcement of polls schedule, the reports said.

Take Gurudaspur municipality as an example.

A chase and counter-chase took place in October between two mayoral hopefuls -- Ariful Islam Biplob, general secretary of Gurudaspur municipal AL, and current mayor Shahnewaz Ali Mollah, also general secretary of Gurudaspur thana AL, when they went to Chaitali market to "seek blessings" of the people.

An altercation broke out between the activists of the two groups, leading to the chase and counter chase. Police later controlled the situation, according to a report of the Special Branch of Police.

The report said Ariful was backed by Natore-2 MP Shafiqul Islam Shimul and Shahnewaz by Natore-4 MP Abdul Quddus.

"This unwanted incident took place as two top leaders are supporting two candidates," it said.

On average, three to four local leaders are campaigning for the elections in almost all the municipalities. They are also lobbying the district unit leaders hard to get party tickets, said insiders.

In Manikganj, for example, four mayoral hopefuls have entered the race already. In last year's elections to seven upazilas in Manikganj, all candidates backed by the AL lost mainly due to infighting.

Similarly, six mayoral aspirants from the AL have entered the race in Boalmari municipality of Faridpur while three in Hajipur and five in Shaharasty of Chandpur, four each in Modhupur and Mirzapur of Tangail, and six in Jagganthpur of Sunamganj municipality.

"I've been making preparation for this election for the last five years. And after coming such a long way, I cannot back off now," said Kamrul Huda Selim, former general secretary of Manikganj district AL.

Three more AL leaders, including current mayor Ramjan Ali, are also campaigning.

Kamrul says he has all the respect for his party. "But if my party does not give me nomination, I will contest the polls as an independent candidate."

Like him, several other hopefuls are preparing to do the same.