Jailed BNP leader's wife to contest Jamaat 'to prove her husband's innocence'
Local BNP leaders demand nomination of Farida Begum, wife of imprisoned Jaldhaka upazila BNP president Anwarul Kabir Chowdhury.
Anwarul Kabir is serving life term in an alleged 'false' rape case.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. BNP leaders claimed that the so-called rape incident and filing of the 'false' case was mastermind by the then Jamaat lawmaker from the area Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury to harass the BNP leader as part of a plan to keep him away from polls race in 2007.
Farida Begum went to Dhaka to purchase BNP nomination form from party central office. Central leaders told her that nomination paper would not be sold to any BNP candidate for Nilphamari-3 as the seat is kept for Jamaat-e-Islam candidate, she said while talking to this correspondent.
BNP has kept 45 Jatiya Sangsad seats countrywide for it's allies and did not sell nomination papers to party men to contest from those constituencies.
The decision not to sell nomination paper for Nilphamari-3 has created a strong resentment in the party rank and file in Jaldhaka, some front ranking local leaders said.
They argued that Jamaat candidate won from the area in last election with BNP votes. BNP's position is better now than any other time. There is no reason to keep the seat for Jamaat in the coming election.
Jaldhaka BNP president Anwarul Kabir Chowdhury was an arch rival of Jamaat leader Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury for long. Bloody clashes took place between BNP and Jamaat on several occasions in last four years on different issues. The rivalry is centred over alliance ticket from the constituency, the BNP leaders said.
They also claimed that the Jamaat leader always tried to harass Anwarul Kabir on different pleas. In August 1 last year, a housewife --Morsheda Begum-- filed a rape case against Anwarul Kabir Chowdhury.
On September 16 this year, the local Women and Children Repression Prevention Court convicted Kabir Chowdhury and six others to life term. The verdict angered BNP leaders and workers who held demonstrations against the then Jamaat lawmaker, calling him the mastermind behind the 'conspiracy' and filing of a 'false' case against Anwarul Kabir.
During the trial of the case, local BNP leaders had alleged that the so-called complainant was sheltered and protected by activists of Jamaat and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Kabir's family and BNP leaders and workers claimed that Kabir is innocent.
BNP and its front organisations in Jaldhaka are united to field Farida Begum in the coming election and resist Jammat leader Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, the BNP leaders told this correspondent seeking anonymity.
When asked, Farida Begum said if BNP does not respond to the demand of party men, she would run in the polls race as an independent candidate. I want to prove that my husband was innocent and he is very popular in the area, she said.
Jaldhaka BNP secretary Amzad Hossain said, It would be very difficult to make party workers campaign for Jamaat candidate (in coming election).
They believed that Kabir is innocent and Mizanur Rahman is a conspirator he added.
Upazila BNP acting president Omar Faruque said party leaders and workers lave launched a massive campaign in the constituency in favour of Farida Begum. She has drawn sympathy of party men and people and will win the election, he claimed.
On Thursday, BNP held a rally at Jaldhaka upazila headquarters as part of campaign for Farida. It was addressed by, among others, Omar Faruque and Amzad Hossain.
The speakers said BNP and its front organisations will work for Farida and resist Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury even if he is nominated by the alliance.
When contacted, Mizanur Rahman refuted the allegation that he masterminded the incident and filing of the case against Kabir.
I do not know anything about this. Kabir was convicted by court and he had nothing to do in this regard.
He also claimed that BNP men would campaign for him as per alliance directive if he is nominated as an alliance candidate from Nilphamari-3.