Faridpur-4: Independent ‘lion’ may subdue the boat

Awami League leader Kazi Zafarullah has been working hard on the campaign trail in Faridpur-4 seat, but may be defeated by independent candidate Nixon Chowdhury who defeated him last time.

The colourful campaign of the lion seems to have subdued the ruling party in the seat. Though many of the local public representatives are members of the Awami League, some are working for the lion symbol.

Zafarullah, a member of the ruling party’s presidium, has been repeatedly filing complaints against Nixon to the Election Commission, but Nixon denied the allegations, saying his rival was attempting to put pressure on him.

The Awami League has always had a stronghold in greater Faridpur and the Awami League candidates have usually won the seat Faridpur-4. The first parliamentarian outside the Awami League from the seat was the BNP’s Chowdhury Akmal Ibne Yusuf in 1991. The seat has remained with the Awami League since.

Zafarullah could not contest the election in 2008, but his wife Nilufar Zafar became the MP from the seat in the election.

Then Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury Nixon alias Nixon Chowdhury appeared on the scene. Nixon is the grandson of Bangabandhu’s sister Fatema Begum. Nixon’s father was an MP from Shibchar in Madaripur and his brother Nure Alam Chowdhury alias Liton Chowdhury is the present MP from the seat.

Nixon chose the Faridpur-4 seat to contest the election as his brother ran from Madaripur. He won the 2014 election, defeating Zafarullah. This year he is contesting again as an independent candidate.

Nixon’s campaign has been in full swing when the reporter visited different places in Charbhadrason and Sadarpur Upazila. Torn Zafarullah posters were seen in few places, a local Leguna driver told bdnews24.com.

“The Awami League could not win the last election even though Sheikh Hasina came to campaign for her party in Bhanga and Charbhadrason. It seems to be the same in this election too,” Mohammed Anisur Rahman Khan, a voter told bdnews24.com.

NIXON POPULAR AMONG AWAMI LEAGUE

Previously only Bhanga Upazila formed the Faridpur-4 seat. Later in 2008, Charbhadrason and Sadarpur Upazila were added to the constituency.

The BNP has some of supporters in Charbhadrason, said the locals. Awami League leaders from Bhanga and Sadarpur are also supporting Nixon.

At least eight of nine unions in Sadarpur fall under the Faridpur-4 seat. Among the eight, independent Union Parishad chairmen from six unions defeated the Awami League candidates. All of them are supporting Nixon.

Two Union Parishad chairmen- Ayub Ali from Charmanai and Moazzem Hossain Miah from Charbishnupur are supporting Zafarullah.

The president and the general secretary of the Bhanga Upazila wing of the Awami League were expelled last year for supporting Nixon.

“President Kazi Hedayetullah Saqlain and General Secretary Faizur Rahman were expelled due to their secret conspiracy with the opposition,” incumbent president Saifur Rahman Miron told bdnews24.com.

They plotted for Awami League losses in the election by recommending ‘weak candidates’ in the Union Parishad election,” he said.

Md Harizul Rahman and Zinia Nazneen Kalpana, vice-chairmen of Sadarpur Upazila are supporting Nixon despite being Awami League members.

“We are not supporting Kazi Zafarullah. The people have some needs. We could never serve the people through him,” Harizul told bdnews24.com.

NIXON POPULAR AMONG BNP TOO

Former district education officer Abul Kalam Shamsuddin was a BNP supporter but he voted for Nixon in the last election.

“BNP was wrong in the last election. They are not able to survive. And the Awami League could not do any good work. Therefore, I supported Nixon instead of the BNP and I’ll do that this time too,” Shamsuddin told bdnews24.com.

Lima, a working woman will vote for Nixon, she told bdnews24.com. “BNP can’t do any work in the field,” she said.

She said she is supporting Nixon as the development of her neighbourhood is important to her.

WHY NIXON?

Most of the voters in the constituency said Nixon has done a lot of development work. There was no electricity in Bhasanchar Union before but Nixon arranged it, Md Delowar, who works in Saudi Arabia told bdnews24.com.

“Nixon has done far more than Nilufar (wife of Zafarullah). I feel like voting for the boat thinking about the development of the country but want to vote for Nixon when I think about my locality,” driver Meer told bdnews24.com.

Zafarullah claims to have done development work in the constituency worth Tk 19.83 billion despite not winning the last election.

But the locals complained that he does not visit often and that they have no access to him.

AKM Matiur Rahman, a Zafarullah campaign leader, said those are ‘false allegations.’

Zafarullah will receive 65 percent of the votes if there is a fair election, he said.

Nixon won easily as the BNP boycotted the election but it won’t be as easy this time, said Leguna driver Meer.

CLASH: NIXON AGAINST ZAFAR

At least 30 supporters from both sides led by Md Omar Farook and Md Shishu Khan were injured in a clash on Dec 16.

More Awami League supporters were injured, said Nixon supporter Harizul Rahman.

Nixon supporters blocked the Sadarpur Police Station when the police arrested Farook. Then he was released with a Tk 50,000 in fine and a bond signed by the local MP.

The supporters of Zafarullah complained to the EC about Nixon spreading violence on Dec 18. The Zafarullah supporters have so far filed 20 complaints to the EC and returning officer including allegations of shooting at Awami League activists and blocking their campaign.

NIXON CONFIDENT

Nixon Chowdhury is confident of winning re-election and expects to bag 80 percent of the vote.

“I left the issue to the prime minister to decide. I didn’t ask for the nomination as I learned Zafarullah will be nominated,” Nixon told bdnews24.com when asked why he chose to be an independent candidate.

He denied all allegations, claiming they were false attempts to smear him.

“They are putting pressure on us by naming us in fake cases,” he said.

BNP IN POOR POSITION

The BNP does not have many voters in the locality apart from Charbhadrason, said locals. Many BNP voters are also supporting Nixon, leaving the party a mess.

None of the party’s posters were seen in Charbhadrason and Sadarpur Upazila. The other two upazilas do not have BNP supporters, said the locals.

All our posters were torn off, complained Golam Rabbani, president of the Sadarpur Upazila wing of the BNP.

“Nobody listens to us. They just ignore us,” he said when asked if they had complained to the returning officer.

BNP candidate Khandaker Iqbal Hossain Selim claims his supporters were threatened.

“Our activists were threatened. They were told to support the boat or stay at home,” he said, but did not name any of those who made the threats.

“I’ll win if the army is deployed and the CEC ensures a level playing field,” the BNP candidate said.