Election 2008

Jamaat firm to field candidate in Kushtia-2

26 November 2008, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Kushtia

The row between BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami has widened over nomination from Kushtia-2 (Mirpur-Bheramara) as Jamaat is adamant to field its candidate in the seat bagged by BNP in last parliamentary election. A senior Jamaat leader seeking anonymity said they are demanding the seat as BNP leader Sahidul Islam is unlikely to win because of alleged corruption during his tenure. Kushtia district Jamaat Ameer Abdul Wahid has collected nomination papers and started campaign in Kushtia-2. Wahid told this correspondent yesterday that he collected nomination paper on directive from party high-ups and that his party will press hard to get the seat from the alliance. Sahidul Islam, president of Kushtia district BNP, was elected from the seat in last two elections. He is on the run since 1/11 and was seen in Kushtia since then. Sahidul is on the list of 20 corruption suspects made public by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Besides had long been demanding the JS seat where it has a good number of party men. Besides, Jamaat activists were always against Sahidul Islam. Wahid contested for the seat in twicein 1991 and 1996, when he got 29,869 and 30,632 votes respectively. AL candidate Mahbubul Alam Hanif got 87,734 votes in 2001 polls.