CHATTOGRAM Nov 14: Six heavy weight aspirants are optimistic of getting nominations from the Awami League for the next General elections.
They are from Ctg-1 (Mirsarai) Engr Mosharraf Hussain, incumbent MP and the Housing and Public Works Minister, Ctg-6 (Raozan) ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, incumbent MP, Ctg-7 (Rangunia) Dr Hasan Mahmud, incumbent MP and former Minister, Ctg-9 (Kotwali), Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, Organising Secretary of AL and son of the former Chattogram mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Ctg-10 (Double Mooring) former mayor Alhaj M Manjur Alam and from Ctg-13 (Anowara) incumbent Minister and MP Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed.
Engr Mosharraf Hussain was elected MPA (Member of Provincial Assembly) in 1970 polls. He was also elected MP from the same constituency in 1973, 1986, 1996, 2009 and 2014 elections. He is now Presidium Member of AL and Housing and Works Minister.
ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury was elected MP from Ctg-6 in 2001, 2008 and 2014 elections. He is now the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railway Ministry.
Dr Hasan Mahmud was elected MP in 2008 and 2014 elections from Ctg-7 (Rangunia). He is a former minister and the incumbent MP and the Press and Publication Secretary of AL.
Alhaj M Manjur Alam, the former mayor of Chattogram City Corporation, is seeking nomination for Ctg-10 (Double Mooring) constituency. He was elected Mayor of Chattogram under the banner of BNP in 2010 last defeating the AL candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury. Then he was BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's adviser. Manjur Alam had discharged the duties of Acting Mayor of the CCC for nine terms during his 15 years of councillor post during the tenure of Mohiuddin Chowdhury. He was the longest Acting Mayor during the previous caretaker government for almost two years. He had also been elected ward councillor for three terms from his home ward, North Kattali as an AL candidate. In 2014 last he also contested for the Chattogram Mayor post on BNP ticket, but he withdrew his candidature on the polls day.
Incumbent Minister and MP Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed is seeking nomination for Ctg-13 (Anowara) constituency. He was elected MP from the seat in by-elections held on 2012 and 2014. He is the son of former AL Presidium Member Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu. When his father died in 2012, he was elected MP in a by-election.
It may be mentioned that a total of 225 members of AL have submitted their nominations for 16 constituencies.
In the tenth General Elections held on January in 2014 all lawmakers of 16 constituencies of Chattogram belong to the ruling Awami League and its alliance partners Jatiya Party, Tarikat Federation and JSD.
The constituencies of Hathazari and Kotwali constituencies belong to its alliance Jatiya Party and Boalkhali belong to JSD (Badal) and Fatikchhari belongs to Tarikat Federation. Mainuddin Khan Badal of JSD was elected MP in 2014 last from Ctg-8 (Boalkhali Chandgaon) seat. From Ctg-4 (Hathazari) Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud of JP was elected MP in 2014 polls. Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu of Jatiya Party was elected MP from Ctg-9 (Kotwali) in 2014 elections as an alliance partner.
Presently, Barrister Nowfel, incumbent Minister Nurul Islam BSc and CDA Chairman MA Salam have been seeking nomination for this constituency.
