With multiple aspirant candidates already campaigning hard in almost all constituencies, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina last night issued a tough warning to those looking to contest the election as rebels.

“Once a rebel, forever a rebel,” three sources quoted Hasina as telling at a joint meeting of the party's central working committee, advisory council and the AL Parliamentary Party at the Gono Bhaban.

If anyone goes against the party decision to run in the election, they will be expelled from the party for life, the sources added, quoting the prime minister.

Hasina also asked her party leaders to throw their weight behind the party-nominated candidates in the upcoming election.

The party may change its candidate even on the last date of nomination withdrawal. Party leaders must accept that decision and demonstrate a mentality of sacrifice, she told the meeting.

Losing the election will mean dangerous consequences for AL leaders, she warned, asking them to keep that in mind and work together to avoid such consequences.

In almost each of the 300 constituencies, there are four, five or even more aspirants. This has caused a major headache for the party high-ups already, as multiple candidates in the same constituency could affect the election results.

In almost all local government elections in the last 10 years, dissidents were the main problem for the party. In many places, AL candidates lost because of their party rivals.

Under the AL constitution, leaders can be expelled for running against party candidates. Despite the threat, however, party rebels did exactly that in recent years.

More than a dozen AL dissidents won in the January 5, 2014, national election that was boycotted by major political parties. One of them even beat an AL presidium member. But the party did not take any disciplinary action against the rebels.

Intra-party conflicts remain a thorny issue for the party. Over the last four years, leaders of the AL and its affiliated organisations clashed with each other, often violently.

At least 100 people were killed and 8,690 injured in 634 such incidents, according to Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading rights organisation.

At the meeting, Hasina also asked her party leaders not to criticise Hefajat-e Islam, sources said.

Hefajat and Jamaat-e-Islami are not the same thing and they should not be mixed up, she said, asking the party leaders to develop relations with Islamic parties before the election.

The meeting also formed 15 committees to oversee party activities for the national election. A separate core committee with presidium and advisory council members was formed to monitor the activities of these 15 committees. PM's son and her ICT Affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy is also in the core

Hasina said the party was yet to give green signal to any candidate for the election. 

She also alleged that Jatiya Oikyafront, the new alliance of BNP and several other parties, was trying to make the election questionable and controversial.

She instructed her party-men to remain watchful of Oikyafront's activities.

At the end of the meeting, many party leaders sought her blessings, sources said. 

At this, Hasina said she gave them her blessings but not nomination. She also asked them not to publicise the pictures of the meeting to claim that they were given nomination, according to the sources.

The meeting began with Hasina expressing her optimism about AL's victory, saying pro-liberation forces would remain in power during the golden jubilee celebrations of the country's independence, reports BSS.

She said the golden jubilee of independence would not be celebrated properly if the pro-liberation forces were not in office. “The Pakistan-lovers will not celebrate it. It's a reality.”

Blasting those who do not see Bangladesh's progress, Hasina said one of the leaders who formed Jatiya Oikyafront commented that Pakistan achieved more development than Bangladesh.

“He should be sent to Pakistan to see the actual situation there,” she said.

Talking about Khaleda Zia, the PM said the BNP chief was in jail for embezzling orphans' money, not for any political reason, reports UNB.

About the new alliance, the PM said Oikyafront leaders alleged that the government did not allow them to hold any rally, but in reality they are holding rallies.

"I told the authorities concerned that democracy prevails in the country. Let them hold as many meetings as they want," she said.

About the demand for an election-time neutral government, the AL chief said as per the High Court verdict, no unelected government is allowed to come to power.

"How do the great lawyers demand such a government after such a verdict? Why are they demanding formation of another government for the election purpose? Why is this demand? How do they press for it?" she asked.

Hasina questioned the intention of the Oikyafront leaders, saying, “Whether they want election or something else is the big question.”

All three major political parties are going to face internal rival issue in Sylhet division as nomination seekers substantially surpass the number of constituencies.

Ruling Awami League has around 96 nomination seekers and the BNP 72 in the 19 constituencies in the division. Some 38 aspirants are seeking nomination from Jatiya Party and eight from Jamaat-e-Islami.

In Sylhet, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, who was elected twice in 2008 and 2014 from Sylhet-1 constituency, had earlier said he would not run.

His brother former diplomat Abdul Momen is among several others vying for the party ticket there.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser Khandaker Muktadir and BNP central committee member Dr Shariar Hossain Chowdhury are vying for nomination in this seat.

As Jatiya Party does not have any strong candidate here, its local activists want party chief HM Ershad to contest the poll.

Jamaat is also in the race with its Secretary General Shafiqur Rahman likely to contest the election as independent or as part of the BNP-led alliance.

Missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali was elected from Sylhet-2 where his wife Tahsina Tusdir Luna is a candidate now. Each of AL, BNP and JP has at least two aspirants here.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is the incumbent lawmaker of Sylhet-6 where he is likely to face at least five intra-party candidates.

As many as 27 AL, 24 BNP, 12 JP and five Jamaat candidates have so far been in the electoral race in the district.

In Sunamganj, Dr Joya Sengupta, wife of late AL leader Suranjit Sengupta, is a prospective candidate for Sunamganj-2. But, she might face challenges from six candidates from within.

Similarly, incumbent lawmaker Azizus Samad Azad Don, son of veteran AL leader Abdus Samad Azad, is trying to get party ticket for Sunamganj-3. He has to face challenges from three other intra-party competitors.

Twenty-four AL, 20 BNP, six JP and one Jamaat aspirants are campaigning for party's nomination in the district.

In Moulvibazar, incumbent lawmaker Syeda Saira Mohsin, wife of late social welfare minister Syed Mohsin Ali, is likely to contest from Maulvibazar-3 with AL ticket where M Naser Rahman, president of district unit BNP and son of late finance minister M Saifur Rahman may become her main rival.

However, both of them may face intra-party rivals, as several candidates of both parties are trying to get party ticket there.

As many as 19 AL, 15 BNP, five JP and two Jamaat candidates are trying to get nomination in the district.

Habiganj, with four parliamentary seats, is considered a stronghold of ruling AL. Dewan Farid Gazi of AL won three times in 1996, 2001 and 2008 from Habiganj-1. But, JP took the seat in 2014.

AL lawmakers Abdul Majid Khan and Abu Jahir was elected successively in 2008 and 2014 from Habiganj-2 and Habiganj-3 respectively, while AL candidates won in all the elections since 1991 in Habiganj-4.

However, all the AL candidates along with BNP aspirants have to face intra-party rivals in getting nomination. At least 26 AL, 13 BNP and nine JP aspirants are in the race in Habiganj.

[Our Sylhet correspondent Dwoha Chowdhury contributed to this report.]

The tussle in the Awami League camp of Munshiganj-3 seems to have subsided following a rebel campaigning for the nominee.

The BNP's electioneering, however, is hardly visible there. 

With only five days until the nation goes to polls, AL candidate Mrinal Kanti Das is carrying out a steady campaign with almost no opposition on the campaign trail, said locals.

Although Mrinal's posters were seen on most roads in Munshiganj sadar and Gazaria upazilas, he was not being able to intensify his campaign because of AL rebel Chowdhury Fahria Afrin, said party insiders.

Fahria, wife of Munshiganj Municipality Mayor Mohammad Faisal, had plenty of her posters around the municipality office. Her father-in-law Md Mohiuddin is the president of Munshiganj Awami League and administrator at the Munshiganj District Council. He served Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the chief security officer.

But yesterday, Fahria started campaigning for Mrinal, ending the tussle that was tearing apart the AL campaign.

Meanwhile, the campaign for BNP candidate Abdul Hye, who has accused AL activists of tearing down his posters and vandalising his office, hoped that deployment of army personnel yesterday would help them campaign.

“Now that the army has been deployed, we will get a chance to boost our campaign,” said Hye.

He said his Jubilee Road office was vandalised by AL men. “We could not carry out electioneering due to attacks by the AL men. The local administration is also assisting them,” he claimed.

Munshiganj Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Shaila Farzana said her administration was determined to ensure a level playing field.

Regarding the allegations, she asked the BNP to come up with a written complaint and proof. “If they can show proof, then we will take action,” she said.

BNP's office on Jubilee Road was found locked yesterday. Hye was seen instructing his men outside the polls-time office of the BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront in Muktarpur.

“Be it at a tea stall or a bus station, people used to talk about the election. But this time, we are not seeing that happening,” said Ahmad Ali, a rice trader who lives in Muktarpur Bazar.

“The AL supporters are bringing out processions every day but there is hardly any activity of the other candidates,” said Md Nayan, a salesman at an electronics shop in Munshiganj Sadar Market.

Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Sheikh Md Kamal Hossain of Communist Party of Bangladesh are the other contenders in the constituency.

The government has come up with a host of incentives including low-interest loans under the new export policy to facilitate receipts of $60 billion by fiscal 2020-21.

Last fiscal year, exports fetched $36.66 billion, up 5.81 percent from fiscal 2016-17, but fell short of the government's target of $37.5 billion, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau.

The new export policy for fiscal 2018-19 to fiscal 2020-21 was approved yesterday at the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Leather will get special focus in the new export policy to reduce dependency on garment, which accounts for more than 80 percent of Bangladesh's export receipts. Benefits enjoyed by the garments industry will be extended to the leather industry.

Programmes will be taken to upgrade the shoes and leather goods related industries to green standards. Central bonded warehouse will be set up for storing the raw materials of the leather industries and reducing the lead time.

The number of highest priority sectors has been raised to 15 from existing 12 and the number of special development sectors to 19 from existing 14, said Shafiul Alam, cabinet secretary, at a briefing after the meeting.

The priority sectors and special development sectors will be given special benefits including subsidies, tax benefits.

The three new priority sectors are denim, active pharmaceutical ingredients and reagents. 

The five included in the special development sectors are: light engineering products (motor cycle batteries), photovoltaic module, cashew nuts (raw and processed), processed crabs and toys.

This time, special steps were taken to extend easy term loans and other banking facilities to export-oriented industries from the Export Development Fund (EDF) of the Bangladesh Bank.

The central bank will form two funds: technology development and upgradation fund and the green fund. Loans will now be provided for modernisation and technology upgradation of export-oriented industries.

In the export-oriented industries, local value addition has been cut to 30 percent from existing 40 percent. Frozen fish and fish processing industries will be given logical amount of tax facilities as export-oriented industries.

Pharmaceutical and information technology sectors will be given various tax and incentive benefits. A special economic zone will be built at Gazaria in Munshiganj for the plastic sector soon.

The garment sector will be able to send samples worth a maximum of $20,000 instead of existing $15,000.

The cabinet also approved in principle the drafts of Bangladesh Sugar-crop Research Institute Act, 2018 and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation Act, 2018.