Kader Siddiqui to contest Tangail by-polls

Abdul Kader Siddiqui who boycotted the Jan 5 parliamentary election in a show of unity with the BNP is going to contest the Tangail-8 (Basail-Sakhipur) by-elections.

The Krishak Sramik Janata League President on Sunday submitted his nomination papers for the polls scheduled for Mar 29.

File Photo

Five other aspirants also submitted the papers to get elected from the constituency which fell vacant after Awami League MP Shawkat Momen Shahjahan died of heart attack on Jan 20.

Shahjahan’s son Anupam Shahjahan is running with the electoral symbol ‘boat’ after the Awami League nominated him on Saturday.

Sunday was last day for nomination submission according to the Election Commission announced schedule.

The four other aspirants are - Sakhipur Boali College Principal and former Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Sayeed Azad, former Bangladesh Bank General Manager Abdul Malek, Jatiya Party leader Kazi Ashraf Siddiqui and independent candidate Liakat Ali.

Azad and Malek did not get Awami League’s nomination, but they still threw their hats in the ring.

The former Awami Laegue leader who lately turned a staunch critic of the party, Kader Siddiqui supported the stance of the BNP, which was demanding a non-party election-time government, and boycotted the national election.

He had also harshly criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for overseeing the election without the Opposition.

Siddiqui formed Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League nearly two decades ago. His brother, Abdul Latif Siddiqui is a Presidium member of the ruling party and a member of Hasina’s new cabinet.

The Awami League formed the new government after winning a landslide in the Jan 5 elections.