Election 2008

JP gets only 2 in Sylhet division

5 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Sylhet

Jatiya Party bargained for 8 out of 19 Jatiya Sangsad seats in Sylhet division but now they are to remain satisfied with only two. These are Sunamganj-4 (Sunamganj Sadar and Biswambharpur) and Moulvibazar-2 (Kulaura and part of Komolganj). Nomination of three other JP leaders were cancelled during scrutiny. These are of Party chief HM Ershad' Habiganj-3, central JP organising secretary Abdullah Siddiqui in Sylhet-2, Syed Shahab Uddin in Moulvibazar-3. Jayita party candidate Momtaj Iqbal has been given the grand alliance's green signal for Sunamganj-4 (Sunamganj sadar and Biswambharpur). Momtaj, widow of JP minister Maj (retd) Iqbal during Ershad's rule, also fought in 2001 polls and lost to BNP's Fazlul Haque Aspia. She ran third with 30,160 votes. This time also, she is to face former whip Fazlul Haque Aspia. If Momtaj gets total support of AL, she may have a good chance this time, some JP leaders in Sunamganj claimed. The other seat given to JP by grand alliance JP is Moulvibazar-2 (Kulaura and part of Komolganj) where the party has former lawmaker Nabab Ali Abbas. The decision came after Awami League's US chapter leader Ataur Rahman Shamim's nomination was cancelled due to loan default. However, JP's bargain with Awami League is still on for Sylhet-3 (Dakshin Surma and Fenchuganj), they said.