‘Hero of politics’ Ershad gives rise to drama over Dhaka-17

The Awami League’s candidate for Dhaka-17 maybe a former movie star but his rival HM Ershad is a ‘hero of politics’, says supporters of the Jatiya Party chief amid high drama over the parliamentary seat.

Jatiya Party Chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad launches a campaign in Dhaka’s Shahjadpur, Karail and Mohakhali areas on Thursday ahead of the general election. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin Jatiya Party Chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad launches a campaign in Dhaka’s Shahjadpur, Karail and Mohakhali areas on Thursday ahead of the general election. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reintroducing Awami League candidates for different Dhaka constituencies at a campaign rally at the Gulshan Youth Club ground on Friday. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reintroducing Awami League candidates for different Dhaka constituencies at a campaign rally at the Gulshan Youth Club ground on Friday. Photo: Abdullah Al Momin

Akbar Hossain Khan Pathan Farooque, a Bangla film actor, was nominated by the ruling Awami League to contest in the ‘heavyweight seat’ that comprises of the capital’s diplomatic zone and the plush areas of Gulshan and Banani.  

Jatiya Party headed by former military strongman HM Ershad is currently an ally of the Grand Alliance led by the Awami League. But despite their ties, Ershad gave rise to high drama by becoming a candidate for the Dhaka-17 seat.

“Farooque may be a hero on the silver screen but Ershad is the hero of politics,” said Jatiya Party Presidium Member SM Faisal Chisty.

Jatiya Party became an ally of the Awami League for the Dec 30 election after the BNP decided to join the contest. The alliance allotted 26 seats for the Jatiya Party but it ended up handing out nominations to 150 candidates.

The lead up to the previous election in 2014 was dramatic for the Jatiya Party chief. After announcing to boycott the election, he ended up being escorted to the Combined Military Hospital by RAB personnel, where he spent many days citing ‘ill health’.

 His nomination from the Dhaka-17 seat was withdrawn but Ershad was elected to parliament after winning from his other seat at his hometown in Rangpur.

Later, Ershad became a special envoy to the prime minister and Jatiya Party became the main opposition in parliament. His wife Raushon Ershad, senior co-chairman, became the leader of the opposition. Three leaders from Ershad's party joined the cabinet.

Awami League candidate and former film star Farooque engages with voters.

This year, a new kind of drama was hinted at when Ershad fell ill just weeks before the election. After spending days at a city hospital, he left Dhaka to get treatment in Singapore.

In his absence, a rumour surfaced about him stepping out of the Dhaka-17 race. Ershad, due to return to Dhaka soon, will be announcing the decision upon his arrival, his party leaders have said.

"Ershad was an MP of this constituency. Only he can improve the lives of people here. No one can match the work he has done. He will finish his incomplete works if elected,” said Jatiya Party leader Faisal Chisty.

But there are more heavyweights lined up for the seat: lawyer Andaleeve Rahman Partho nominated by the BNP, former minister and independent candidate Nazmul Huda and sitting MP Abul Kalam Azad of the Bangladesh Nationalist Front.

In the past, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Ershad both contested the election from the seat. Abul Kalam Azad of the BNF won the seat in the 2014 election, boycotted by the BNP, in the absence of a nominee from the ruling Awami League.

'UNHAPPY' AWAMI LEAGUE

The Awami League faced trouble nominating a candidate for the Dhaka-17 seat as there were a great number of aspirants. It was Farooque who finally bagged the ‘boat’ ticket.

“I had entered the world of cinema from the arena of politics. I responded to Bangabandhu’s call by joining the Liberation War,” Farooque told bdnews24.com.

“Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina gave me this opportunity to serve the people. She believes that I’ll be able to bring something new to the people.”

But some Awami League’s leaders from the area are not necessarily happy with Farooque’s nomination.    

“It’s very unfortunate that we didn’t get a local leader as our candidate,” said Mosharraf Hossain, senior vice president of Bhasantek wing of Sramik League.

 

“We wanted one of our local leaders to be nominated. But I don’t know what the party high command thought about it,” he said, adding that he will still work to support Farooque’s campaign.   

“Because we believe in our party, we have graciously accepted our chief’s order,” said AKM Jashim Uddin, president of Banani unit of Awami League, who wanted the ticket for Dhaka-17.

 

HEARING OUT THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

The BNP created a stir by nominating for Dhaka-17 Andaleeve Partho, a Bhola MP of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party or BJP.

“There was no eligible candidate to voice the problems and rights of the people of this area. People are worried whether they’ll be able to go to the voting centres,” said Partho.

“But we hope they’ll overcome this fear and vote for the paddy sheaf (BNP polls symbol) and deliver a proper response to the current bad governance,” he said.

Andaleeve Rahman Partho

He claimed the Awami League was ‘obstructing’ his campaign but did not want to place a formal complaint to the Election Commission or to the returning officer.

“I don’t want to tell anything to the returning officer or the EC on the issue. I guess they’ll get ‘high blood ammonia’ if I tell them. It’ll just be a waste of time.”

Nazmul Huda who left the BNP to join the Awami League alliance had expected a ticket from the ruling party. After he failed to secure a ‘boat’ nomination, Huda decided to run for Dhaka-17 as an independent candidate with the symbol ‘lion’.     

But the former Dohar (Dhaka-1) MP had to fight legal battles to prove himself innocent of charges levelled against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission. There were also legal issues surrounding the registration of his party.  

Nazmul Huda

“I have never competed for this seat but these voters know me. They must be aware of my works in Dohar. I believe the voters will do the right evaluation,” Huda told 

bdnews24.com

.

Huda’s campaign is more digital than traditional, which requires voter engagement on the streets. The campaign for ‘lion’ has been mostly on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, he said.

Abul Kalam Azad, the current MP of Dhaka-17 has the least chance of winning, according to many voters of the constituency.  He was elected without contest  all credit to Ershad for his dramatic exit in the last election.

 

ERSHAD 'THE POPULAR'

The former military strongman, despite his shaky position in politics, still has supporters in the constituency. Voters at Narda, Kalachandpur, Korail, Sattala praised him for developing their neighbourhoods.

“He built schools in our locality. We got gas connection because of him. He built better roads. He did development works for the poor. I’ll vote for him,” Mohammed Kabir, a cleaner employed by the Dhaka North City Corporation told bdnews24.com.

But there are other opinions on Ershad.

“He won the 2008 election because of the votes that were meant for the Awami League. This time the Awami League has their own candidate and Jatiya Party has limited votes in the constituency. The ‘plough’ cannot move on without the help of the ‘boat’,” said Anowar Ali Sarker, a resident of Kachukhet.

But Awami League’s Farooque is not a resident of the constituency. Some are seeing that as a problem.

“We had wanted a local leader of the Awami League, so he would be better acquainted with the issues we face,” said Fakhrul Hossain, a resident of the Mohakhali Wireless area. “But since Farooque has been nominated, we will wait to see what he does.”    

Another resident of Mohakhali, Amjad Sheikh, said, “Is this even an election. All I see are Awami League posters. BNP candidates can barely get out to campaign. But the Awami League is going solo on this vote as they don’t have Jatiya Party with them here.      

“We will see how many votes they get. There might just be an opportunity here for the BNP." 

 

Before the 9th general election, the Dhaka-5 seat included Ward - 15 and Ward - 98 of the Dhaka Cantonment, Wards 18, 19, 20 of Gulshan, Ward - 15 of Kafrul, Ward - 15 of Pallabi and Ward - 20 of the Tejgaon Industrial Area.

In 2008, new borders were drawn for constituencies and areas under Dhaka-5 seat came to be distributed under Dhaka-11, Dhaka-15, Dhaka-17 and Dhaka-18.

Now, Wards 15, 18, 19 and 20 of the Dhaka City Corporation and the Cantonment area fall under the Dhaka-17 seat.