District Representative Sylhet: Even though the interim government has not announced the roadmap for the elections, BNP leaders are racing for the parliamentary elections in Sylhet. In addition to lobbying with the party high command, many are traveling to remote areas as part of the field campaign. There is a lot of discussion across Sylhet about who will contest in which seat. However, a poster of Dr. Zobaida Rahman, the son of Sylhet and the wife of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, has changed the discussion in a new direction.
Apart from the traditional posters, a colorful poster of Dr. Zobaida mentions that she wants to be seen as a member of parliament for Sylhet-1 constituency. However, the poster does not identify any person or organization. Due to which the identities of those who are putting up this poster in the city are also unknown.
However, some Chhatra Dal leaders and activists detained a person on Wednesday for putting up a poster of Dr. Zobaida. A video of this has been circulating on social media. However, the person’s party identity has not been found.
A BNP source says that someone from within the party can do this. Some say that an anonymous poster cannot have any impact on the candidacy.
Sylhet-1 constituency has always been the center of discussion in government formation in the country. There is a myth in the country’s political arena that ‘Sylhet-1 belongs to whoever has the government’. That is why this constituency is very prestigious. All discussions revolve around it.
Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in the mass uprising of students and the public on August 5 last year, the election drumbeat has started ringing among BNP leaders in Sylhet. Especially, most of the discussions were about Sylhet-1 constituency (City Corporation-Sadar Upazila).
In this situation, the issue came into further discussion when former mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Ariful Haque Chowdhury recently visited the UK. During the visit, he also met BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
Many people believe that he met Tarique Rahman to discuss his candidacy for the Sylhet-1 constituency. However, the people of Sylhet were not at all convinced. After Arif’s hour-long meeting with Tarique Rahman in the UK, Arif’s followers claimed that Arif had received the ‘green signal’ to contest the parliamentary elections.
Many people posted a picture of Tarique and Ariful’s meeting on Facebook and wrote ‘something good is happening’. After the meeting, Ariful Haque Chowdhury himself told the media that something new is coming.
Meanwhile, while Ariful Haque Chowdhury was in the UK, a poster of Dr. Jobaida Rahman, the wife of Sylhet’s daughter and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, was spread in various places in Sylhet city. On one side of the colorful poster is a picture of BNP founder former President Ziaur Rahman, party chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. On the other side is a picture of Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Half of the poster has a large picture of Tarique Rahman’s wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman.
The poster reads, ‘The pride of Bangladesh, the pride of Sylhet people – Dr. Zubaida Rahman as the MP of Sylhet-1, the highest parliamentary constituency of Bangladesh, we the neglected and deprived people of Sylhet want to see her as our guardian.’ However, the poster does not mention who or what people want to see her in this constituency.
BNP Chairperson’s advisor and former mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Ariful Haque Chowdhury returned to Sylhet after his visit to the UK last Thursday. The next day, Friday, when contacted on his mobile phone to take a statement on this matter, he did not respond.
However, in a speech given to the leaders and activists after returning home, he said, ‘Tareq Rahman has ordered the leaders and activists of Sylhet to work unitedly. Discussions were held with the party chief during the London visit about organizing the party well.’
He also said, ‘Everyone should remain united without being confused by some propaganda. No one has been nominated ahead of the elections, a board will be formed and nominations will be made once the interim government announces a roadmap.’
During this time, he demanded that Tarique Rahman or someone from his family be nominated for the Sylhet-1 constituency, saying, ‘This will end the 17-year deprivation of the people of Sylhet.’
Regarding the anonymous poster of Dr. Zobaida, Sylhet District BNP President Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury said, ‘Dr. Zobaida is from a traditional family. Moreover, she is the wife of our acting chairman and a member of the Zia family. A poster with her picture has been pasted in the city in the name of this renowned person, demanding a candidate for the Sylhet-1 constituency without the organization’s identity. I think whoever or whoever pasted this poster has disrespected her.’
He said, if he wants to contest the elections, he will need a poster. Some group has done this for personal gain. He urged not to do anything to tarnish the honor of any member of the Zia family in the future.
And BNP’s central co-organizing secretary Miftah Siddiqui said, “Is this an issue? I have no comment on such a poster.”
