Six Rangpur, Kurigram renegades remain worries for grand alliance

16 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Rafique Sarker, Rangpur

Six independent candidates in six constituencies in Rangpur and Kurigram districts are now worries for grand alliance and Jatiya Party candidates in the upcoming Jatiya Sangsad election. Deprived of party ticket, Jatiya Party leader Shah Alam is running independent in Rangpur-4 (Kounia, Pirgachha upazilas). Shah Alam was elected from this constituency in 1991 with Jatiya Party ticket. In the 1996 bi-election, JP nominated him for Rangpur-5, but was defeated by Awami League's HN Ashiqur Rahman. Shah Alam did not contest in 2001 election. “I am the fittest candidate and hope to win”, bidi factory owner Shah Alam told this correspondent yesterday. His main objective to run independent is to bag votes from JP's vote bank in the constituency, sources close to him said. Awami League candidate former BGMEA president Tipu Munshi, former JP MP Karim Uddin Bharsa and his elder brother Rahim Uddin Bharsha are in the race in the constituency. In Rangpur-2, former JP candidate Mohammad Ali is an independent candidate. Mohammad Ali was elected in 2001 with Jatiya Party ticket by defeating AL candidate Anisul Islam Chowdhury. JP nominated former American expatriate Anisul Hoque Mondol as grand alliance candidate in this constituency for the upcoming election. Mohammad Ali is in the poll race only to create problem for the grand alliance candidate because 4-party alliance candidate ATM Azharul Islam is not in good position, poll observers said. JP leader Anwarul Islam is an independent candidate in Rangpur-1 (Gangachara upazila). He is on vigorous election campaign. Local JP leaders said they had been demanding a local man as a candidate in Gangachhara but the party nominated HM Ershad's nephew Asif Shahariar, who is not a man of the area. As their demand was ignored, they have fielded Anwarul as an independent candidate, the party men said. In Kurigram-4, AL leader Fulu Sarker is an independent candidate as the party refused him ticket. Fulu Sarker said, “Grand alliance candidate Maidul Islam Mukul is son of listed war criminal Abul Kshem”. “All freedom fighters and pro-liberation forces have abandoned Mukul”, he said. Maidul Islam Mukul joined JP a few months back got grand alliance ticket. Sources in AL also said, leaders and activists of the party and its front organisations are divided as regards Maidul Islam and Fulu Sarker. JP candidate Motiur Rahman defeated Fulu Sarker with AL ticket in the 2001 election. Motiur Rahman joined BNP and got BNP ticket to contest in the upcoming election in the constituency.