Election 2008

FF, war criminal to fight in Sherpur-1

27 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Debashish Saha Roy, Sherpur

Sherpur-1 (Sherpur Sadar upazila) is one of the most important constituencies in Greater Mymensingh area in the ensuing Jatiya Sangsad election as a freedom fighter and an anti-liberation candidate are contesting from this seat. Awami League-led Grand Alliance has nominated two time lawmaker from the seat, district AL president and freedom fighter Atiur Rahman Atique. BNP-led four-party alliance has nominated anti-liberation Jamaat-e-Islami's central senior assistant secretary general Muhammad Qamaruzzaman here. Though six candidates are contesting from the seat the main fight will be between the candidates of Grand Alliance and the four-party alliance, observers said. Sherpur-1 seat is most talked about among the three seats in Sherpur district. Since former autocrat HM Ershad captured power Jatiya Party leader Shah Rafiqul Bari Chowdhury captured the seat till 1995. JP presidium member Rawshan Ershad contested from the seat in 1996 and was defeated by AL candidate Atiur Rahman Atique with a big margin of 16,000 votes. In 2001 election Awami League candidate Atique defeated Jamaat leader Qamaruzzaman with a huge margin of 21,000 votes. A big faction of BNP severely opposed nomination of Qamaruzzaman as a Grand Alliance candidate in Sherpur-1 seat due to his controversial and negative role during the 1971 liberation war. Though the progressive faction of BNP opposed Qamaruzzaman at the beginning now they participating in the Jamaat leader's campaign following directives of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. Small trader Mosharraf Hossain of Sherpur town said, "It is a shame that an anti-liberation element is participating in the national election in the month of victory. AL Badar Bahini led by him killed my brother college student Golam Mostafa on August 24. 1971. This is war criminal Qamaruzzaman." Sector Commanders Forum at a rally at Sherpur district Shilpakala Academy auditorium on November 13 declared Muhammad Qamaruzzaman as a top war criminal. Atique said, "Not only the people of Sherpur, the whole country know that Qamaruzzaman is a war criminal. However, four party candidate Qamaruzzaman denied these allegations and said, he was not in Sherpur in 1971. He said his name is linked with Al Badar Bahini killer Kamran with ill motive.