With his son's victory in Wednesday's upazila chairman polls in Subarnachar, local Awami League lawmaker Ekramul Karim Chowdhury have further consolidated his grip on politics, said party insiders.

A novice in politics, 26-year-old Atahar Ishraq Shabab Chowdhury defeated incumbent AHM Khairul Anam Chowdhury Salim, a veteran AL leaders, by 703 votes.

Shabab, a business by profession, is the latest addition to the list of public representatives from Ekram's family and relatives. At least six of his family members and close relatives already hold political posts and public offices.

Ekramul's wife Kamrun Nahar Shiuly is the chairman of Kabirhat Upazila Parishad in Noakhali, while his nephew Jahirul Haque Raihan is the mayor of Kabirhat Municipality.

His stepbrother Hazi Ibrahim is the president of Kabirhat upazila Awami League. Another brother of Ekramul, Moahmmad Ilias, is the chairman of Sundolpur Union Parishad under Kabirhat upazila.

Visiting Ekramul's constituency recently, The Daily Star found that the lawmaker has named a market, Ekram Nagar, in Subarnachar after himself, a high school after his wife, and a road and a river ghat after his son.

Local AL leaders said the MP, who has already cornered his political opponents, may now go tough against his rivals.

Soon after the announcement of the polls results on Wednesday night, supporters of Ekramul attacked the followers of Khairul in different areas of Subarnachar, leaving at least 15 supporters of the latter injured, said local AL leaders.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Noakhali district AL General Secretary Shahidullah Khan Sohel said, "Ekramul Karim Chowdhury wants to establish a 'political dynasty' in Subarnachar. He did not withdraw his son from the polls despite the Awami League president's instruction in this regard. He does not care about the party's discipline and principles."

Locals said Ekramul gave his loyalists important party posts and those who opposed him became powerless in politics.

Hanif Chowdhuy, general secretary of Subarnachar upazila AL, got the party ticket for chairman in the Charjubilee Union Parishad polls in 2022. But Ekramul backed independent Saifullah Khashru who won that election.

In 2021, the MP had proposed his son be given the post of youth and sports affairs secretary of the Noakhali district AL, but the central AL did not pick Shabab due to opposition from senior local leaders.

"This upazila polls is not the first time Ekramul Karim Chowdhury took a stand against the party. If his favourite was not picked by the party for an election, he would field his loyalist as a rebel candidate," Bahar Uddin Khelon, president of Subarnachar upazila AL, told The Daily Star.

After being denied the AL ticket for Noakhali-4 in the 2001 national polls, Ekramul ran as an independent in Noakhali-5, but he lost that election.

Locals also said that Ekramul started to influence local AL politics soon after being nominated by the party for Noakhali-4 in the ninth parliamentary polls.

The Daily Star could not reach Ekramul for comments yesterday as he did not pick up calls.