BNP, Jamaat rivalry revives over municipal polls

Local rivalry between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in Jaldhaka upazila under the district has resurfaced as candidates from both the parties are running for the post of mayor in Jaldhaka municipality.

However, the Jamaat candidate is contesting as an independent candidate due to legal embargo against contesting from the party platform.

Jaldhaka is a stronghold of Jamaat and its former upazila unit ameer late Mizanur Rahman won the parliamentary seat there in three consecutive terms while former upazila BNP president, also a freedom fighter, late Anwarul Kabir Chowdhury snatched the mayor post four times, despite Jamaat's opposition.

Amid the situation, BNP and its national political alliance partner Jamaat locked in an open rivalry since 2004.

The conflict became latent as Awami League (AL) was voted to power after the national elections of December 28 in 2008 but it surfaced again over the municipality poll as late Kabir's son Fahmid Faisal Comet is contesting for the mayor post from BNP.

To discuss the matters related to the election, the local administration yesterday held a meeting in the upazila parishad auditorium with Deputy Commissioner Zakir Hossain as the chief guest.

In the meeting, Mokbul Hossain, Amir of Jaldhaka municipality unit of Jamaat, who is running for the mayor post as independent candidate (electoral symbol - jug) with full support of the party, alleged that BNP activists drove his 40-50 activists away from Paschim Bogulari village in ward No-3 yesterday morning.

BNP supporters also manhandled Jamaat's female workers in ward No-4 during the latter's election campaign on Saturday noon, he said.

BNP mayoral candidate Fahmid Faisal Comet (symbol - sheaf of paddy) denied the allegations and brought counter charge that Mokbul was doing election campaign with 40-50 people although electoral rule allows a candidate to take only four or five people for door to door campaign.

The BNP candidate alleged that the Jamaat supported candidate is speaking ill of his party and openly asking people not to cast vote for him, which is also a violation of code.

Talking to this correspondent, Comet expressed fear that Jamaat might take a 'suicidal step' by casting vote for AL's rebel candidate Ilias Hossain Bablu to make both AL and BNP candidates defeated in Jaldhaka.

"I will take action as per rule if there is any written complaint," Sekandar Ali, upazila election officer, said in yesterday's meeting.