Grassroots leaders and activists of Pabna Jamaat-e-Islami did not include the names of the sons of war criminals in the list of the party's nomination aspirants for the national election scheduled on December 30.

The party's Pabna unit prepared a list of five nomination aspirants and sent it to party high-ups for approval.

The names of Barrister Nazib Momen, son of executed war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami, and Nesar Ahmed Nannu, son of convicted war criminal and former Jamaat leader Moulana Abdus Subhan, were not included in the list.

However, when asked why their names were not included and if it was because their fathers were war criminals, party leaders said Nazib Momen lives abroad and that they have “more competent” candidates than Nannu.

“These are the reasons why our grassroots leaders and activists opined that their names should not be on the list,” said Moulana Johurul Islam, Nayeb-e-Ameer of the district's Jamaat.

The district's five Jamaat aspirants are -- Abul Baset for Pabna-1, KM Hesab Uddin for Pabna-2, Md Shapinur Islam in Pabna-3, Abu Taleb Mondol in Pabna-4 and Moulana Iqbal Hossain in Pabna-5, he told The Daily Star.

Contacted, Nannu said that he would contest the election independently if he failed to get the party's approval.

“I think my father did not get justice and was wrongly punished. Protesting the verdict given to my father, I will contest as an independent candidate,” Nannu said.

Momen, who lives abroad, could not be reached over the phone for comments.

As Jamaat's registration as a political party had been scrapped, its candidates may contest the polls independently or under the banner of the BNP-led alliance, Johurul said, adding, “If negotiations with BNP are successful, we hope that the BNP will set aside at least three constituencies out of five in Pabna.”

Former top leader of Jamaat-e-Islam Nizami was hanged on May 10, 2016. Subhan, who is now in jail, was sentenced to life imprisonment.