Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Businessmen are likely to retain their dominance in the next Jatiya Sangsad. Participation of a large number of businessmen in the polls indicates that their presence in the new parliament will be overwhelming and money will influence the election. In the alliances led by the Awami League and BNP, around 62 percent of the contestants are businessmen, according to the data from 286 of 300 constituencies.

Bikolpodhara Bangladesh has got three seats from the ruling Awami League to contest the December 30 parliamentary polls, but none of the seven other parties in the Juktofront, led by the Bikolpodhara, has been offered seats.

The BNP has finalised candidates in at least 150 constituencies and will pick contenders for the remaining seats after the Election Commission decides the fate of many of its leaders' appeals against rejection of their nomination papers.

The BNP's strategy of fielding multiple candidates in almost every constituency has worked effectively. Otherwise, the party would not have any candidates in a large number of seats, say senior party leaders.

Jatiya Oikyafront would be making pledges for sweeping reforms, its draft manifesto indicated.

With a "forward-looking" vision focusing mainly on the young generation, the ruling Awami League is likely to unveil its election manifesto either on December 12 or 13.

Settling the discord over seat-sharing with alliance partners and keeping leaders and activists united to work for the party nominees are the major challenges the ruing Awami League is faced with ahead of the parliamentary polls.

The BNP has been facing new difficulties since the party candidates submitted their nomination papers for the upcoming polls.

The BNP has nominated 25 leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key component of the 20-party alliance, to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls.

Around 60 new faces got BNP tickets for the December 30 parliamentary election and most of them are former student leaders and family members of veteran or deceased party leaders.

In a surprise move, the BNP may leave most of the parliamentary seats in the capital to top leaders of its allies for contesting the upcoming election.

For the December 30 election, the BNP will be banking on party nominees of 2001 and 2008 parliamentary polls. Over the last few days, the BNP nomination board has finished interviewing potential candidates and finalised around 250 runners,

The last date of filing nomination is just four days away, but the Awami League and the BNP could not finalise their candidates for all 300 seats yet because of disagreements over sharing seats among alliance partners.

Family members of at least 25 BNP leaders who died in the last 10 years are likely to get party tickets.

Grassroots leaders of the BNP's Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions yesterday pledged to stay in the electoral race regardless of the situation and support the candidates to be nominated by the party.

The Jatiya Oikyafront and the BNP-led 20-party alliance will initially field multiple candidates all the 300 constituencies to avoid the risk of going to the polls without their contenders in some seats.

Rice bran oil of three of the 12 Bangladeshi brands is below par, says a government study.

Jatiya Oikyafront wants to take full advantage of growing discontent among nomination seekers from the Awami League and its allies and gives special attention to the constituencies where the 14-party alliance, led by the ruling AL, is facing the problem.

The BNP did not let its grassroots leaders primarily select its contenders in the polls, ignoring the electoral law and its own charter.

Sachet marketing -- selling products in small quantity, usually in minipacks -- has practically revolutionised the business of consumer products over the last few decades. Gradually, however, it is turning into a serious cause for concern.