BNP won't give Khulna-5 and 6 seats to Jamaat

"Jamaat can not be a determining factor in our party politics", said senior leader of Khulna BNP Gazi Abdul Huq who is former secretary general of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA).

Abdul Huq sought nomination from Khulna-5 (Dumuria-Phultala) constituency in 2001 election but was not given. He will seek nomination again this time, he told this correspondent.

He however declined to make any comment if the four-party alliance nominates a Jamaat candidate from the parliamentary seat.

Khulna city Jamaat Ameer Mian Golam Parwar who was elected from Khulna-5 in 2001 said alliance leader Khaleda Zia will decide who would be nominated from the seat in the coming election. Parwar defeated Awami League candidate Narayan Candra Chanda by a big margin in 2001.

"This time my position is better than others. So, I deserve nomination to retain this seat", Golam Parwar said.

Jatiya Party (Ershad) Presidium member and former minister Col (Retd) HMA Gaffar will also seek nomination from this constituency if his party joins the four-party alliance.

"Parwar took the opportunity as I was not in the polls race in 2001", Gaffar said claiming his big contribution for implementation of many development project including road communication in the area.

BNP is also not willing to leave Khulna-6 seat (Koira-Paikgacha) for Jamaat as was done in 2001 election. In the last election, Jamaat central leader Mohammod Ruhul Quddus defeated Awami League candidate Shaikh Nurul Huq with a big margin.

Former Speaker and BNP leader Shaikh Razzak Ali who not given nomination in Khulna-6 in 2001 wants to contest from the constituency in the coming election, sources close to him said.

Shaikh Razzak Ali had to pay a heavy price for giving an ultimatum to Khaleda Zia to get party ticket in 2001 either from Khulna-2 or Khulna-6.

He was kept aloof from BNP politics for over two years by appointing him as Bangladesh high commissioner to Britain. He has started meeting BNP leaders and workers in Khulna-6 area to mobilise support to get nomination, party sources said.

He could not be contacted for his comment about his plan if BNP does not nominate him this time.

Lawmaker from Khulna-6, Jamaat leader Ruhul Quddus hopes he will be nominated again from the constituency.

"There is no little chance for BNP to win this seat (Khulna-6), said a top leader of Khulna district unit of Jamaat requesting anonymity.

But Jamaat is afraid of valiant freedom fighter SM Babar Ali, who was elected from Khulna-6 as an Awami League candidate in 1970 at the age of 25. He joined Jatiya Party in 1984. In 2000, Babar Ali joined Naziur faction of Jatiya Party. He is determined to contest from this seat in the coming election, he said.

"If I do not get nomination from the alliance, I will go back to my old pavilion (Awami League) to fight anti-liberation force Jamaat and its protector BNP", he told his correspondent.