Election 2008Sylhet Grand Alliance

Bargain on as JP gets only 3 seats

2 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Iqbal Siddiquee, Sylhet

Although the Jatiya party wanted 6 out of 19 seats in the Sylhet division from the AL in the grand alliance, things had been settled for 3 only by now, Jatiya party sources informed. These are, Sylhet-3, Sunamganj-4 and Habiganj-3. "But yet we are talking on the others," said the JP presidium member Atiqur Rahman Atique who is also a candidate for the Sylhet-3 seat, yesterday afternoon. "We wanted 8 in the division first although, we pressed for 6, of which 3 had already been settled," he added. "The JP has a good base in Sylhet division, so there will be some problems with the seat sharing, Atique added, "We will try to adjust things with the party men just for the sake of alliance." The 6 seats JP wanted are, Sylhet-3, Sylhet-4, Sylhet-5, Sunamganj-4, Habiganj-3 and Moulvibazar-2. With this, the AL grassroots are a little worried as they had already sacrificed in at least 3 important constituencies, despite having good candidates of their own. AL's Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury, who had filed nomination for Sylhet-3 told the Daily Star yesterday afternoon, "It will be hard to accommodate things if the seat is given to the JP, although yet I am to get any instruction in this regard from the party high ups," he added. Mahmud Us Samad lost to BNP's Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury in 2001. JP is pressing their best for this seat. However, the JP leaders claim, AL will have to sacrifice in only a few for the greater interests as well as to ensure a big win in all the seats. At such a situation Sylhet district and city JP threatened if the Sylhet-3 is not given to JP, there will be a serious impact in the whole division. Besides, JP had already been offered Sunamganj-4 (Sadar and Biswambharpur) with JP's former minister Major (retd) Iqbal's wife-Mumtaj Iqbal, who also fought in 2001. In 2001 AL fielded former lawmaker Dewan Shamsul Abedin, who lost to BNP's Fazlul Haque Aspia. This time AL has fielded its acting district president Matiur Rahman while Abedin is also an independent runner. JP had also been offered the Habiganj-3 where JP has fielded HM Ershad, But central organising secretary advocate Azizul Bari Kamal and AL's Advocate Abu Zahir also filed nomination.