MPs to have no role this time

The ruling Awami League has decided to drop its lawmakers from the selection boards tasked with picking candidates for the forthcoming union parishad (UP) polls.

A meeting at the Gono Bhaban, with party president Sheikh Hasina in the chair, took the decision yesterday considering that some AL MPs had meddled in party's mayoral aspirants' selection in the just concluded municipality elections.

"We have brought a little change in the selection board for the union parishad polls. No local lawmaker will be there this time," AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told reporters after the meeting of party's selection board for local government polls.

Party's lone chairman candidate for a UP would first be selected by a committee comprising presidents and general secretaries of the AL committees in the respective district, upazila and UP, said meeting sources.

Later, the grassroots units would send the names to the central committee for the party president to give her final nod. In case the units fail to select any one, the central body itself will decide, added the sources.

Responding to a query, Hanif said this time there would be no scope for anyone to violate the party decision. All will have to work for the party-nominated candidates, he warned.

Another meeting participant, wishing not to be named, said, “During the recent municipality polls, the party had a bitter experience because of the role of some MPs. That's why we have decided to keep the lawmakers out of the selection process.”

Yesterday's meeting also nominated Badal Krishna Devnath and Haji Abdul Latif as mayoral candidates for Char Fashion municipality in Bhola and Shahrasti in Chandpur going to polls on February 15.

For the first time, the UP elections are taking place on party lines. The Election Commission has said over 600 union parishads will go to polls at the end of March in the first phase. There are over 4,500 union parishads in the country.

In last months' municipal polls, presidents and general secretaries of respective district, upazila and municipality units along with local AL MPs were in the selection boards for picking party AL mayoral candidates.

Going against party's decision, several lawmakers backed party dissidents that put the AL-backed mayor aspirants in trouble. Besides, in several cases MPs proposed names of their loyal people ignoring grassroots' decision.

The party has already formed investigation committees led by the AL's divisional secretaries to probe the roles played by AL lawmakers and grassroots leaders who backed the rebels. Besides, AL served notices to rebel candidates asking them why they should not be expelled for running against the party-nominated candidates.