Election 2008Brahmanbaria-2

Ziaul hopes to beat Amini, thanks to feud in BNP

27 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Sheikh Md. Shahidul Islam, Brahmanbaria

Ziaul Haque Mridha and Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini

Conflict among the local BNP leaders about supporting the four-party alliance nominee and president of a faction of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini is brightening the prospect of AL-led grand alliance candidate Advocate Ziaul Haque Mridha winning in Brahmanbaria 2 constituency. Jatiya Party central leader Advocate Ziaul Haque Mridha, a new face in the electoral race, thinks the delimitation of area of the constituency will also help him win. A large number of voters of Shahjadapur and Kalikachchha unions of Sarail upazila said that they have been casting their votes for "Sheaf of Paddy" for long but they are still underprivileged. They want to say 'No' to four-party alliance and choose a new face this time. At least a dozen of elderly people and elites of Shahjadapur village, locally known as a vote bank of BNP, said that Mufti Amini comes here only to beg votes but do not visit them later. He had failed to fulfill his commitments with the people of Shahjadapur village, they said. Most of the BNP leaders said Amini, who lost his security money in 1996 election won the seat as a four party candidate in 2001. But after winning the seat with the help of BNP and other four party alliance partners he gave privileges only to the workers of IOJ and did nothing for either the people of the area or BNP men. Agitated BNP workers also stopped Amini's car at Dewra village when he went there for campaign. They asked him angrily why he did not involve BNP leaders and workers in development works when he was an MP for the seat. His car was also stopped at Kalikachchha and Akhitara on the same grounds. Amini is also facing hurdle as the two unions --- Chandura and Budhumti known as vote bank of BNP have been shifted to Brahmanbaria 1 and eight unions of Ashuganj upazila, a strong hold of AL, have been shifted to Brahmanbaria 2. Though grand alliance candidate Advocate Ziaul Haque Mridha is a new face here, he is trying to woo the voters by saying that as a local person he will do development works for the constituency, if elected. BNP-led alliance headed by former state minister Advocate Abdus Satter Bhuiyan is trying to solve the crises prevailing among the BNP leaders and local elites with a view to winning Amini.