Election 2008

Kurigram-4 may see triangular fight

20 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Abdul Wahed, Kurigram

As none of the candidates of Grand Alliance partner Awami League and the Jatiya Party withdrew from the race in Kurigram-4 (Chilmari-Raumari-Rajibpur) constituency, a triangular fight is expected there with another main contestant being BNP-led four party alliance candidate- a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami. AL and JP candidates are contesting with their respective party symbols boat and plough while the four party nominee with Jamaat symbol scale. In the 9th Jatiya Sangsad election eight candidates including two independent candidates are contesting from Kurigram-4 seat but the fight will mainly confined among the three candidates- former JP (Ershad) lawmaker Md. Golam Habib Dulal, Md. Jakir Hossain of AL and Four party alliance nominee Jamaat-e-Islami leader Md. Nur Alam Mukul. JP candidate Golam Habib Dulal won the seat in 2001 securing 62,484 votes. His nearest rival four-party nominee Jamaat leader Md. Abdul Latif got 43,025 votes. The constituency area has been divided by the river Brahmaputra. The majority voters are in the Eastern side of the Brahmaputra. There are 1,56,822 voters in Raumari and Rajibpur upazilas on the eastern side of the river while 71,730 voters in Chilmari upazila on the western side. Of Chilmari voters, there are about 20,000 living in Astomir Char and Nayarhat unions that are on the eastern side of Brahmaputra River. In the last two terms the lawmakers elected for the constituency were from Chilmari upazila. This time, Golam Habib Dulal (JP) and Md. Nur Alom Mukul (Jamaat-e Islami) are from Chilmari upazila (proper) while Md. Jakir Hossain (AL) is an inhabitant of Raumari upazila.