Newcomer Chand out to elbow out AL lawmaker Akbar

(L-R) M S Akbar, Kamruzzaman Chand

Party leaders and activists in Magura Sadar and Sreepur upazilas are divided into two factions. One faction wants incumbent lawmaker Dr. Akbar as candidate while the other is in favour of newcomer Kamruzzaman Chand, former deputy controller of Dhaka Education Board now a central member of Krishak League, opposition Awami League's peasant forum.

Chand is holding meetings with party men and rallies in Sreepur upazila where he has mustered support of a large section of party workers, party insiders claimed.

A faction in Sadar upazila also supports him, they said.

Dr. Akbar was elected twice from the constituency. He defeated BNP's Maj Gen (Rtd) M Majidul Huq in 1996 and central BNP leader Nitai Roy Chowdhury in 2001. Nitai joined BNP from Ershad's Jatiya Party.

But now, a sizable faction of local AL leaders have distanced themselves from Akbar, sources in the district AL claimed.

Seeking anonymity a front ranking district AL leader said, "As Akbar has already lost popularity and confidence of local people, the party may face election debacle if he is nominated again."

Talking to this correspondent Chand said, "So far as I know, the party high command is now fully aware of Akbar's position in the constituency. He was declared 'unwanted' in Sreepur upazila by party men and the party high command is already in search of a new face for nomination."

He also claimed that AL men in Magura are now united to work for any nominee but Akbar.

"I have started mass contact after getting green signal from several party stalwarts," Chand claimed.

But Akbar claimed, "A few self-seeking people in the party declared me 'unwanted' in Sreepur upazila but most of the party men were not involved in it."

In reply to a question Akbar said, "As each of the party men has right to seek nomination, I have nothing to say in this connection."

Expressing his optimism to get nomination again, he said, "Party high command knows it very well who should be nominated to retain the seat".

Sreepur upazila Jubo League president Kutubuddin Kuti however refuted Akbar's claim and said, "Almost all party men in Sreepur upazila were united on the issue of declaring him 'unwanted' and they are now determined to resist his political activities here."

"Party men here also planned to hold broom procession on September 11 against Akbar, but postponed it following intervention by top leaders of district Awami League and some high police official", he claimed.

A senior leaders of Sreepur upazila AL claimed, "We have already made our leader Sheikh Hasina understand that she should nominate anybody except Akbar as he did nothing for the party during his 10-year tenure".

Party sources said, on September 5, rival party men in Sreepur upazila at a meeting with upazila AL president Akbar Hossain Mian in the chair declared lawmaker Akbar 'unwanted' in the upazila. The meeting also decided to bring out a broom procession in the district town on September 11 to protest his alleged anti-organisational activities and misbehavior with party men but was postponed following intervention by district AL leaders.

"We have already started organising tougher agitation programmes against him (Dr. Akbar) and you will see those within a few days", Sreepur Jubo League president Kutubddin Kuti said while talking to this correspondent.