Zakir Azad, Cumilla

Candidates of 11 parliamentary constituencies consisting of 17 upazilas of Cumilla are roaming around the polling field after receiving symbols on December 18.

After the withdrawal of nomination papers, the Awami League nominated boat symbol candidates are relieved with 3 seats as there is no strong rebel candidate among the 11 parliamentary seats of the district.

12 heavyweight independent candidates of Awami League are already in the polling field to fight against the boat candidates in the remaining 7 seats.

The nomination of 7 of them was canceled by the returning officer. In the end, they got their candidature back by appealing to the Election Commission and the High Court. There are 93 candidates in 11 constituencies of Cumilla .

After the start of campaigning, the voters are saying that out of the 11 parliamentary constituencies of the district, the influential leaders of the local level of Awami League are rebel (independent) candidates in those 8 constituencies, so they can see a glimpse of a fight in these constituencies on January 7. In 7 out of 8 seats, the rebels of the party will fight with the boat of Awami League.

Those 8 seats are; Cumilla -1 (Daudkandi-Titas), Cumilla -2 (Homna-Meghna), Cumilla -3 (Muradnagar), Cumilla -4 (Debidwar), Cumilla -5 (Burichong-Brahmanpara), Cumilla -6 (Adarsh Sadar, City Corporation and cantonment area), Cumilla -7 (Chandina) and Cumilla -11 (Chauddagram). Nachimul Alam Chowdhury Nazrul, the current Member of Parliament of the Constituency, submitted his nomination papers as an independent candidate in Cumilla -8 (Barura) constituency without getting the party nomination of Awami League. However, as he finally withdrew his nomination on December 17, Cumilla South District Awami League vice-president and businessman Abu Zafar Mohammad Safiuddin alias Shamim is relieved.

Commentary of the voters-Although there are candidates from other parties including the Jatiya Party, due to strong divisions, the independent candidates of the Awami League will fight with boats in 7 of those 8 seats. Boat candidates will win the remaining 3 seats very easily. Only Cumilla -5 (Burichong-Brahmanpara) Constituency, Awami League's Heavyweight 4 candidate has entered the voting field against the boat candidate. Shaukat Mahmud, the expelled leader from BNP, has become an independent candidate there. Because there are several rebels in the Awami League, Shawkat is slightly ahead in the voter survey. The remaining 7 of the 8 seats will be contested within the Awami League.

Cumilla -1 (Daudkandi-Titas) Constituency for the first time, the party's central science and technology affairs secretary Eng. Abdus Sabur. Barrister Naeem Hasan, executive member of Cumilla North District Awami League, was canceled as an independent candidate of the party in this seat. In the end, he is wearing the eagle symbol in the polling field on the orders of the high court. Due to which the boat candidate is somewhat in trouble.

Current MP Selima Ahmad Meri has been nominated for Cumilla -2 (Homna-Meghna) seat. Homna Upazila Awami League President Principal Abdul Majid and Meghna Upazila Awami League President Shafikul Alam became independent candidates without getting nomination. The nomination of senior party leader Abdul Majeed was canceled by the returning officer. In the meantime, he has returned to the polling field by appealing. Majid's symbol is truck and Safiqul's eagle. Both the rebels in this seat are known to the activists as heavyweight candidates. Therefore, in the end, the election may accumulate in this seat.

Current Member of Parliament Yusuf Abdullah Haroon has been nominated for Cumilla -3 (Muradnagar) seat. Although the nomination was canceled at first, independent candidate Jahangir Alam Sarkar, former general secretary of Cumilla North District Awami League, regained his candidacy for this seat on the orders of the High Court. With the eagle symbol, he is known to activists as a heavyweight candidate in that seat.

Raji Mohammad Fakhrul, the current Member of Parliament, has been nominated for Cumilla -4 (Debidwar) Constituency. Recently resigned upazila chairman Abul Kalam Azad is in the polling field as a heavyweight candidate. He is the organizing secretary of Cumilla North District Awami League. The Awami League leaders and activists think that the fight for votes in this seat will be very crowded in the district.

Eagle symbol candidate Abul Kalam Azad said, if I win, Awami League will win. In the meantime, I can see the crowd all around. Inshallah my victory is sure. Current Member of Parliament Razi Mohammad Fakhrul said, I have spent my entire youth for the welfare of the people of Devidwar. I hope people will choose me after evaluating the past.

Comilla-5 (Burichang-Brahmanpara) seat has been nominated by current MP Advocate Abul Hashem Khan. 4 party leaders have become independent candidates here without boat nomination. Of these, the nominations of the main three heavyweight candidates were canceled by the returning officer.

Later, they appealed to the Election Commission and returned to the polls again. They are - Joint General Secretary of Cumilla South District Awami League Sajjad Hossain Swapan of Phulkopi Prateek, MA Jaher of Ketli Prateek who recently resigned from the post of Brahmanpara Upazila Chairman, Jahangir Khan of Kanchi Prateek, president of the same upazila Awami League. The other candidate is Ehteshamul Hasan Bhuiyan Rumi, independent of Central Jubo League leader Truck Prateik. As there are 4 heavyweight rebels of Awami League and Shaukat Mahmud, who was expelled from BNP, there is a fight for votes in this seat.

Current MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar has been nominated for Cumilla -6 (Adarsh Sadar, City Corporation and Cantonment Area) constituency. He is the president of Metropolitan Awami League.

Anjum Sultana Seema became an independent candidate without getting nomination. She is an MP from the reserved women's seat and former vice-president of the Metropolitan Awami League. Eagle symbol candidate Seema is the daughter of Cumilla’s veteran Awami League leader late Afzal Khan. Bahauddin Bahar's political conflict with Afzal Khan family has been going on for almost four decades. Due to which the voters can see a glimpse of the vote fight between the two familiar groups.

In this regard, Anjum Sultana Seema said, after the announcement of the leader, this election is open to all party-wise. I have become a candidate in the interest of the people of Cumilla . I hope to win the election. I can see the crowd all around.
Present Member of Parliament AKM Bahauddin Bahar said, since the beginning of politics, I have been working with honesty and devotion for the people of Cumilla . Insha-Allah they will win me this time too. I hope to give this seat to Bangabandhu's daughter, leader Sheikh Hasina, by winning this seat with huge votes.

Awami League's candidate for Cumilla -7 (Chandina) seat is current Member of Parliament Pran Gopal Dutta. Muntakim Ashraf Titu, president of Chandina Upazila Awami League, participated in the election on Thursday (December 21) after getting his candidacy from the high court. Eagle symbol candidate Titu is the son of late Ali Ashraf, a five-time former Member of Parliament and former Deputy Speaker of this constituency. Voters think that the fight for votes will accumulate here too.

In Cumilla -11 (Chouddagram) constituency, former railway minister and current MP Md. Mujibul Haque has been nominated. He is the General Secretary of Comilla South District Awami League. Former organizational secretary of Upazila Awami League and former municipal mayor Mizanur Rahman has become an independent candidate here without getting the nomination of boat. However, there is a rebel candidate of the party in this seat, but Mujibul Haque MP is in a strong position. The opinion of the voters is that Mujibul Haque, who was elected with the last laugh boat symbol, can laugh.

Cumilla South District Awami League General Secretary Md. Mujibul Haque said, those who are devoted to the party, can never go beyond the party's decision. The activists have all come to the field in favor of the boat.

Mizanur Rahman, an independent candidate of the cauliflower symbol, said that the people of Chauddagram want change. I am getting good response all