Sultan Mansur claims he never left Awami League

Sultan Mohammed Mansur Ahmed, the Jatiya Oikya Front candidate who won a parliamentary seat in the general election with the ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol, has hinted at returning to the Awami League.

He expressed the interest on Monday to take oath as an MP of the 11th national parliament despite the alliance’s rejection of the election results.

Later in the night, the former Awami League leader told bdnews24.com: “I haven’t joined any other party. I never left the Awami League, neither was I expelled.”  

A former vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union or DUCSU and president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Sultan Mansur had risen as high as to the position of organising secretary in the Awami League.

Sultan Mansur went under the fold of Gono Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain after he faced the wrath of the Awami League leadership for seeking reforms during the 2007-08 military-controlled caretaker government.

Though he has denied joining the Gono Forum, its Executive President Subrata Chowdhury told bdnews24.com that Sultan was a member of the party’s presidium and the coalition’s steering committee.

Sultan won the Moulvibazar-2 seat, one of the eight won by the Oikya Front, in the Dec 30 parliamentary elections.

The Awami League has formed government for the third consecutive term after winning 258 constituencies.

The Oikya Front alliance rejected the results of the 11th parliamentary polls.

Their candidates, who won the elections, will not take oath as MPs, the alliance said.

The Awami League’s key ally the Jatiya Party has been made the official opposition in parliament having secured 22 seats.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her address to the nation on Friday, called upon the opposition MPs-elect to take oath and promised that their views and constructive criticism will be properly valued in parliament.

“What is there to say about the matter? I am positive, of course!” Sultan Mansur told bdnews24.com earlier on Monday when asked about his stance on taking oath as an MP.

He said Gono Forum leader Mukabbir Khan, who has won the Sylhet-2 seat, ‘will also take the oath’, but did not indicate when the ceremony could be held.

“Despite great adversity, the people have elected us,” the former Awami League leader said. “It is my duty to represent the people. In this situation my role will be positive.”

Gono Forum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu in a statement later in the day said the party was firm in its decision that its MPs-elect will not take oath.

Both Dr Kamal and Montu had once been Awami League leaders as well.