The boat candidates were defeated in 43 seats despite the huge victory of the Awami League in the 12th National Parliament election. Among them are two state ministers, a whip of the national parliament, five central leaders of the Awami League, three top-level leaders of 14 parties, and some significant members of parliament. Local leaders and activists told the Khaborer kagoj the major two reasons for their defeat. That is, the internal conflicts of the party and the distance between the candidates and the local leaders, workers, and voters.
Independent candidates have won 62 seats. While the Awami League candidate lost to independent candidates in 43 seats. The independent candidates defeated the candidates of the boat symbol of the plow and 14 affiliated parties in the other 19 constituencies. A total of 62 constituencies were found to have been won by independent candidates, and most of the independent candidates have been standing by the local people for a long time. The MPs in those constituencies did not have much contact with the local people. However, the winning independent candidates have been in regular contact with the locals for a long time. This is the main reason that puts them ahead in the polling field.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali Habiganj-4, State Minister for Relief and Disaster Management Enamur Rahman Dhaka-19, former Minister and Member of Parliament Emaj Uddin Pramanik Naogaon-4, and former State Minister for Women and Child Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki have been defeated in Gazipur-5 seats. Whip Atiqur Rahman Atiq in Sherpur-1 constituency; three-time MP Tahjeeb Alam Siddiqui also lost in Jhenaidah-2 constituency.
Despite getting a boat symbol, Kazi Zafar Ullah, a presidium member of the Awami League from Faridpur-4 constituency; Abdus Sobhan Golap, Publicity and Publication Secretary of the Awami League from Madaripur-3; Mrinal Kanti Das, Liberation War Affairs Secretary of the Awami League from Munshiganj-3; Asim Kumar Ukil, Cultural Secretary of the Awami League from Netrakona-3; Shaheen Chakladar from Jessore-6; Mumtaz Begum from Manikganj-2; and Razi Mohammad Fakhrul could not become Members of Parliament from Comilla-4 Constituency this time. Due to the internal conflict, significant leaders and parliament members of the Awami League could not be brought to the field in favor of the boat. As a result, they were defeated.
The leaders and activists of several constituencies said that many of the candidates with the boat symbol had been elected as members of Parliament for more than one term. They became isolated from the people day by day. Leaders and workers could not come to those members of parliament. As a result, they got angry and voted for independent candidates for the party. Many of the independent candidates have been with local leaders and workers for a long time and have been involved in various services for the people. As a result, the leaders, workers, and voters of the party gave their verdict in favor of the one whom they had by their side.
Several local Awami League sources said that the main reason for the defeat of Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, a five-time member of parliament from Barguna-1 constituency, was nepotism. He was the General Secretary of the District Awami League in 1987 and has been serving as the President of the District Awami League since 1995. During this time, he appointed his wife, children, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and other family members to various important positions in the party. A large part of the party was angry with Shambhu for a long time because of this. The Awami League's local leaders united to break the Shambhu circle around this year's election. As a result, district Awami League joint general secretary Golam Sarwar Tuku won as an independent candidate.
Golam Sarwar Tuku, the winner of Barguna-1 constituency, told the Khaborer Kagoj, "Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu could not fulfill the minimum expectations of the people of Barguna even in three terms as a member of parliament. He was so apathetic that desperate and deprived people questioned whether there was an MP in their area at all. Nothing has progressed beyond the MP and his family. So people wanted to get rid of the circle of Shambhu and wanted a change.
Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu told the Khaborer Kagoj, "All the development of Barguna-1 seat has been done by me. However, those who complain are greedy for power. By electing against the party candidate, they have given proof of this by not cooperating with the party candidate. They did not bring benefits to the party by doing this. My family has contributed a lot to Barguna Awami League politics. No one got a party post on a separate assessment as family or relatives."
Kazi Zafar Ullah, an influential member of the presidium of the Awami League, has been defeated once again in the Faridpur-4 seat. Several important leaders of the local Awami League said that the reason for the defeat three times in a row was that he was being defeated again and again because he failed to establish good relations with the leaders and workers of the Trinamool. He has a distance with the voters in that area. There is an allegation that Kazi Zafar Ullah does not stand by the side of the common people in times of danger.
The Awami League's Publicity and Publication Secretary, Abdus Sobhan Golap, was defeated in Madaripur-3 Constituency due to a local Awami League conflict. Along with this, there are various allegations of corruption, including land grabbing, against Golap and his relatives. There is anger among the common people about this.
The president of the Kalkini Upazila Awami League, Tahmina Begum, won against Golap. Out of 71 members of the Kalkini Upazila Awami League, only three were with Golap. As a result, boats were defeated in Awami League-dominated areas as well.
"MP Golap and his wife Gulshanara Begum have committed massive irregularities in various government allocations, including TR and Kabikha. Referring to these issues, a 70-page complaint has been submitted to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the party's general secretary, Obaidul Quader, highlighting various irregularities," said Enayet Hossain, General Secretary of Kalkini Municipal Awami League.
"The Awami League was not defeated here. Golap has been defeated. People were outraged by his various injustices and irregularities. People gave their answer through the ballot," said Toufikuzzaman Shaheen, General Secretary of the Kalkini Upazila Awami League.
Famous vocalist and member of Parliament Momtaz Begum has been defeated in the Manikganj-2 constituency. She was defeated as party leaders and workers took a stand in favor of an independent candidate.
"Momtaz Begum has made the Singair Awami League a family league. She herself became the president of the Upazila Awami League. Apart from this, the retired leader Majed Khan, who was in charge of the general secretary for 27 years, was removed, and her nephew Shahidur Rahman was made the general secretary. Due to many political conflicts, most of the leaders and workers of the party left her and chose Zahid Ahmed Tulur," said Md. Saidul Islam, Joint General Secretary of Manikganj Singair Upazila Awami League.
The influential leader of the 14-party alliance, Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju, has been defeated from Pirojpur-2, JASAD President Hasanul Haque Inu from Kushtia-2, and Workers Party General Secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha has been defeated from Rajshahi-2 seats. The influential leaders of 14 parties were defeated in the conflict with the local Awami League. Local Awami League leaders and workers joined the field against JP's Anwar Hossain Manju. Because of this, Anwar Hossain Manju's personal assistant, Mohiuddin Maharaj, won when he was a minister. JASAD President Hasanul Haque Inu lost in the conflict with Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Joint General Secretary of the Awami League. Kamarul Arefin, general secretary of the Mirpur Upazila Awami League, known as a close follower of Hanif, won as an independent candidate against Inu. Fazle Hossain Badsha, general secretary of the Workers' Party, lost in the conflict with Awami League presidium member HM Khairuzzaman Liton. Shafiqur Rahman Badshah, who is known as Liton's close leader, won there. Most of the leaders and workers of the Awami League were in favor of Shafiqur.
(Mohiuddin Apu, Barguna correspondent, Sanjib Das, Faridpur correspondent, Rafiqul Islam, Madaripur correspondent and Asad Zaman, Manikganj correspondent of Khaborer Kagoj contributed to this report)
