Boon or bane?
Jahangir's pull-out of Gazipur polls makes most AL men happy, others wary of negative impact; BNP sees it as a blessing
Rebel candidate Jahangir Alam's pull-out from the Gazipur city polls race has been a knife that cuts both ways. While some voters and Awami League insiders see it as a blessing for the AL-backed mayoral aspirant, others think it is precisely the opposite.
For voters, the reason is all too clear. Jahangir's withdrawal, reportedly on the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has left a negative impact on locals.
This has also handed a powerful weapon to AL-sponsored candidate Ajmat Ullah Khan's rival camp. The opposition camp is portraying this as interference by the prime minister in the July 6 election.
Jahangir, a former leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, had filed nomination as a mayoral hopeful. Having remained missing since the night of June 18, he appeared before the media on June 23 and announced his pull-out, citing Hasina's instructions.
Local AL leaders and supporters of Ajmat told The Daily Star yesterday that such an incident had been "embarrassing" for them.
"It will take a few more days to overcome the setback," said AL lawmaker Abdul Mannan, who went to Gazipur city yesterday morning to boost local leaders.
Some local leaders echoed Mannan's view.
"It would have been better both for him [Jahangir] and the party had there been no drama over his withdrawal," said Abul Kalam Azad, president of ward 29 AL unit.
They, however, think that Jahangir's campaigning for Ajmat in the coming days would eventually prove to be a boon for the AL.
But boon it has already been for the BNP-backed candidate.
While the opposition camp is trying to cash in on this issue, many Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal leaders and activists who had been working for Jahangir are now joining their party-backed candidate's campaign, said Sheikh Fazlur Rahman Fulon, president of city Jubo Dal unit.
"We had been worried. His [Jahangir's] pull-out has come as a blessing for us," he added.
ASM Hannan Shah, a BNP standing committee member, told reporters in Gazipur yesterday: "The ruling party has become desperate to win the Gazipur polls after its defeat in the four city elections. So it has forced Jahangir to quit the race. It is a violation of electoral code of conduct."
Meanwhile, Jahangir, who has been campaigning for Ajmat since June 24, yesterday tried to convince people, saying he willingly withdrew from the race for the party's sake.
He said he was also trying to boost his supporters, who got upset following his withdrawal.
City people, however, have a critical view of his pull-out.
"The way Jahangir was crying at the press conference [from where he announced his withdrawal] has hurt our sentiments. His tears proved that he was forced to quit," said Moniruzzaman, a small businessman of Mariali area.
It may be a surprise for rest of the country as to how Jahangir has become a factor in the Gazipur polls, although he now holds no post in the local AL.
Recently, he stepped down as vice chairman of AL's Gazipur sadar upazila unit to contest the polls.
Despite being elected vice-chairman of Gazipur Sadar Upazila Parishad with a big margin in January 2009, he had almost nothing to do for the people due to the ineffectiveness of the upazila parishads.
Yet to serve voters, he relied on his own income. The money he earned through his jhut (garment wastage) business has been spent on anyone asking for help, sources said.
"There are very few educational and religious institutions he did not contribute to," said Insan Uddin Ahmed, who identified himself as a BNP supporter of Mariali area of ward 26.
He claimed it would have been difficult for Mannan to win the battle had Jahangir contested, as Jahangir had acceptance with all, especially the young generation.
Mominuddin Ahmed, vice president of Jatiya Sramik League Gazipur district unit, a pro-AL labour wing, said many people had opted to approach Jahangir for help instead of the local MPs as he never let anyone go empty-handed.
[Abu Bakar Siddiqui Akand also contributed to this report]
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments