City Polls: Barishal AL split between uncle and nephew
AL nominated mayoral candidate Abul Khair Abdullah has formed two electioneering committees to help him garner votes in the upcoming Barishal city polls.
However, incumbent mayor and Barishal city AL General Secretary Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, who had also been vying for the party ticket, and his followers were not included in either committee.
Sadiq's father Abul Hasnat Abdullah, on the other hand, was made the chief of one of the committees – a 31-member advisory committee.
Khair is the younger brother of Abul Hasnat, a veteran politician, president of Barishal district AL, lawmaker for Barishal-1 and also a member AL central committee.
Party insiders said that those who belong to the anti-Sadiq faction and were deprived of posts in the past few years have been included in the committees.
On May 8, Khair announced the formation of the advisory committee at a press conference held in his campaign office.
The other one -- a 16-member "election conducting committee" -- was formed on April 28.
Afzalur Karim, former general secretary of Barishal city AL and an active leader of the anti-Sadiq block, has been made Khair's chief electioneering agent.
AKM Jahangir, incumbent president of Barishal city AL, chairman of Barishal district council and a close aide of Sadiq, was not included in the committees.
Contacted, Afzalur said that as AKM Jahangir is the incumbent district council chairman and Sadiq Abdullah is the incumbent mayor, they are still serving two important official posts. "So, they were not included in the committees to avoid legal complications."
However, Khair Abdullah could not be reached over the phone for comments despite repeated attempts.
Contacted, Gazi Naimul Hossain Litu, joint general secretary of Barishal city AL and a close aide of Sadiq, said a meeting with all leaders and activists of Barishal city and district AL will be held on May 12.
"We'll discuss all election related issues there and take a decision regarding everyone's role in the election."
An AL leader who belongs to the anti-Sadiq faction, preferring anonymity, said, "We don't want to see followers of Sadiq in the committees."
However, Tarun Chanda, a senior member of Barishal district AL, said the rivalry between the two groups must end to ensure the victory of the party candidate.
Khair was nominated as the AL candidate for the Barishal city polls on April 15. The election is slated for June 12.
Party insiders said Sadiq and his followers were disappointed with the decision and many of them have been absent from the party nominee's electoral campaign.
The other mayoral candidates contesting in the Barishal city polls are Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Iqbal Hossain of Jatiya Party, and independent candidate Kamrul Ahsan Rupan, son of former mayor late Ahsan Habib Kamal.