The ruling Awami League on Sunday announced the names of 298 candidates for contesting the upcoming national election on January 7 keeping two seats vacant- Kushtia-2 of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's Hasanul Haq Inu, and Narayanganj-5 of Jatiya Party's AKM Salim Osman.
The 298 candidates will contest the polls with the Boat symbol.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Qauder on Sunday announced the names of the 298 at a press conference at AL central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka.
The announcement came after a day of ending the AL Parliamentary Nomination Board meeting, which was held in the AL Dhaka district office in Tejgaon with AL President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Ahead of the announcement, the Prime Minister also held a view exchange meeting with the party's aspiring candidates, who had submitted nomination forms seeking party ticket for contesting the polls.
In the list of 298, new candidates have been given in at least 72 constituencies excluding the existing members of parliament (MP).
Three state ministers of the present government were also refused nomination. They are State Minister for Labour Monnujan Sufian, State Minister Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain, and State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid. New candidates have been nominated in the seats.
In the new list, the ruling Awami League has also nominated candidates from alliance partners - Jatiya Party (JP) and 14-party alliance.
Imdadul Haque was nominated in Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (JP-Q) seat in Thakurgaon-3, Golam Mostafa in the seat of Rana Mohammad Sohail (JP-Q) in Nilphamari-3, Jakir Hossain Raju in Ahsan Adelur Rahman (JP-Q) Nilphamari-4, Matiar Rahman in Chairman Ghulam Muhammed Quader (JP-Q) Lalmonirhat-3, Rezaul Karim Raju in Mashiur Rahman Ranga (JP-Q) Rangpur-1, Tushar Kanti Mandol in Rahgir Almahe Ershad (JP-Q) Rangpur-3, Zafar Ali in Panir Uddin Ahamed (JP-Q) Kurigram-2, Afruja Bari in Shameem Haider Patwary (JP-Q) Gaibandha-1, Touhidur Rahman Manik in Shariful Islam Zinnah (JP-Q) Bogura-2, Sirajul Islam Khan Raju in Nurul Islam Talukder (JP-Q) Bogura-3, Helal Uddin Kabiraj in AKM Rezaul Karim Tansen (JSD) Bogura-4, Mohammad Ali in Fazle Hossain Badsha (WP) Rajshahi-2, Firoz Ahmed Sawpan in Bangladesh Workers Party's Mustafa Lutfullah's Satkhira-1, Sarder Md Khaled Hossain in Golam Kibria Tipu (JP-Q) Barishal-3, Abdul Hafiz Mollick in Nasreen Jahan Ratna (JP-Q) Barishal-6, Kanai Lal Bishwas in JP-M Chairman Anwar Hossain Monju's Pirojpur-2, Ashrafur Rahman in Rustum Ali Faraji's Pirojpur-3, Mohammad Mohi Ur Rahmna in opposition leader and JP-Q Chief patron Raushan Ershad's Mymensingh-4, Abdus Sattar in Fakhrul Imam (JP-Q) Mymensingh-8, Nasirul Islam Khokon in Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu (JP-Q) Kishoreganj-3, Mohiuddin Ahmed in Bikalpo Dhara's Mahi Badruddoza Chowdhury's Munshiganj-1, Sanjida Khanam in Sayed Abu Hossain Babla's Dhaka-4, former DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon in Kazi Firoz Rashid (JP-Q) Dhaka-6, AFM Bahauddin Nasim in Rashed Khan Menon (WP) Dhaka-8, former BPSC Chairman Dr. Muhammad Sadiq in Pir Fazlur Rahman (JP-Q) Sunamganj-4, Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury Nasim in Shirin Akhter (JSD) Feni-1, Abul Bashar in Masud Uddin Chowdhury (JP-Q) Feni-3 and Mohammad Abdus Salam was nominated in Anisul Islam Mahmud (JP-Q) Chattogram-5.
