AL makes surprise picks
Star cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is set to start a new career in politics as he got the ruling Awami League's ticket to run for parliament from Magura-1 constituency.
Besides, popular film actor Ferdous Ahmed was picked by the ruling party to vie for Dhaka-10 in the 12th national election with AL's electoral symbol of 'boat', according to AL leaders with knowledge of the development.
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Former Dhaka south city mayor Sayeed Khokon was picked to run for Dhaka-6, AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak for Dhaka-13, and AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim for Dhaka-8.
However, former Chhatra League acting president Shah E Alam and former Awami Swechhasebak League general secretary Pankaj Nath, who are current members of parliament, have not been nominated, the sources confirmed.
The decisions were made by the AL Parliamentary Nomination Board at a meeting yesterday with AL President Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
At the day-long meeting, AL picked its candidates for Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions.
On Thursday, the AL picked its nominees from Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions. The party will finalise its candidates for Chattogram today and unveil the list of all 300 nominees on Sunday.
Besides, Hasina will exchange views with all AL nomination seekers at the Gono Bhaban on Sunday morning.
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina will sit with the 3,362 AL ticket seekers at the Gono Bhaban and unveil the list of nominees tomorrow.
A total of 3,362 AL leaders, celebrities, former bureaucrats and police officials collected AL nomination forms.
AL sources say the party chose Shakib over incumbent lawmaker Saifuzzaman Shikhor.
The cricket ODI captain bought AL nomination forms for Magura 1, Magura 2, and Dhaka 10 constituencies.
The nomination board chose Nanak, a former MP, over Dhaka-13 lawmaker Sadek Khan, and actor Ferdous over Dhaka-10 lawmaker and former FBCCI president Shafiul Islam.
Bahauddin Nasim, a former MP from Madaripur, will vie for Dhaka-8, where Rashed Khan Menon, leader of AL ally Workers Party, is the current MP.
According to sources, current MP Shah E Alam was dropped while former lawmaker Talukder Mohammad Yunus was picked to run from Barishal-2.
The AL chose its International Affairs Secretary Shammi Ahmed to vie for Barishal-4, dropping lawmaker Pankaj Nath.
AL central working committee member and Barishal-1 MP Abul Hasanat Abdullah got the party ticket, while Zaheed Farooque, state minister for water resources, got the ticket to run for Barishal-5 again.
Khaled Hossain Swapan, Babuganj upazila AL president and former chairman of Babujang Upazila Parishad, was picked for Barishal-3, and Maj Gen (retd) Hafiz Mallik for Barishal-6. No AL leader from these two constituencies participated in the 2018 election.
Irfan Selim, son of Dhaka-7 MP Haji Salim, was picked by the AL for the constituency. Irfan, his father, and brother Sulaiman Selim bought nomination forms.
A new face, Towhiduzzaman Tuhin, was picked for Jashore-2, dropping current lawmaker Nasir Uddin. Towhiduzzaman is a physician and son-in-law of veteran AL leader Tofail Ahmed.
Briefing reporters at the AL president's Dhanmondi office, AL General Secretary Oabidul Quader said some new faces have been nominated and some incumbent lawmakers have been dropped.
No individual likely to win has been dropped, he said, adding, "Young people who have the acceptability are ahead in this race."
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