The New Nation - Internet Edition

Hasanuzzaman Khan

Horse-trading was put on hold in the post-one eleven political scenario in the country. It has not been revived with the resurrection of the political process leading to election. But Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the biggest political party in the country has taken cognisance of the post-one eleven conduct of the party candidates seeking nomination to the Jatiya Sangsad polls.

Nominations of some of the top ranking party leaders were reportedly withheld for their alleged reformist role which they had purportedly undertaken to democratise the party or to free the party from its one-man or one-woman domination. Some of the reformist leaders- Tofail Ahmed, Abdur Razzak and Suranjit-held press conferences outlining their political reform programme to which the party supremo Sheikh Hasina took umbrage while she was in jail. Later their nomination papers were kept valid for only one seat each. However, her unhappiness with the senior leaders is evident by the changed environment in Sudha Sadan where junior and emerging leaders are more visible now on important occasions. The senior leaders are conspicuous by their absence or they were kept at bay.

The leaders who contested from more than one Jatiya Sangsad seat in the past like Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sen Gupta, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdul Jalil have now been debarred from doing that by a decision taken at a party meeting. The leaders who had a tradition to contest JS polls from more than one seat will not have that privilege anymore. In the parliamentary board meeting the above leaders felt humiliated following outright rejection of Sheikh Hasina who on one occasion said, she can forgive them but won't forget their post 1/11 divisive activities leading the party to two separate streams. The politicians who remained loyal to her party line are certain to be rewarded after being placed in the nomination list of the future MPs. Matiya Chowdhury, the Hasina loyalist, has already been assured of a berth in the future Awami League government.

The senior Awami League leaders who acted like non-stop interview machine before the 1/11 changeover have now become media-shy all on a sudden. Amir Hossain Amu and Suranjit Sen Gupta who went to London to appease the party leader Sheikh Hasina failed to have her audience. It was reported in the media that the chances of Asaduzzaman Noor, the AL Publicity Secretary, securing party nomination from a Rangpur seat, the citadel of Ershad, was not bright. It seems that he has become a victim of media blitz. ALPB in its last-minute deliberation has accommodated him in a Rangpur seat.

The senior party nomination seekers who were in the beeline but got the axe and have their application for nomination withheld are Mukul Bose of Gopalganj, Sutan Mansur of Sylhet, Jahangir Hossain of Patuakhali, Abdur Rahman of Faridpur, Akhtaruzaman of Gazipur, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin of Lalbagh, Dhaka and Abu Sayed of Pabna. They are all senior Awami League leaders,some of them having rank of party organizing secretary but are not in the good grace of party chief Sheikh Hasina now.

The second segment of Awami League leaders were getting prominence as a sizeable section of senior leaders were sidelined.

Abdul Jalil and Obaidul Kader, just released from jail, were barred from playing the role that they were assigned to perform due to their position in the party hierarchy. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, one time confidante of Sheikh Hasina was also not sure of getting party nomination for the traditional Dhaka seat (Sabujbagh).

The electoral adjustment of Awami League with Ershad-led Jatiya Party and Oli Ahmed-led LDP has become complex and given rise to controversy within the 14 party alliance. The Awami League is still silent on Ershad's claim that he has been offered presidency with a duration of six months if Awami League-led alliance is voted to power. Ershad claims that Rangpur is the bastion of his power.

But the prospect of upcoming December 18 polls remains under a smokescreen. In a hurriedly called press conference at the CA's office the Advisor of the Caretaker Government, Hossain Zillur Rahman said the Government was firm to hold the next parliamentary polls on schedule. His body language did not indicate the same.