Patuakhali-04 Seat; AL aspirant Mohibbur, BNP Musharraf

Patuakhali - 4 MP candidates

Patuakhali: 114, Patuakhali-4 parliamentary seat of Jatiya Sangsad consists of two police stations, two municipalities, 12 unions of Kalapara upazila and 6 unions belonging to Rangabali police station of Rangabali upazila. The Awami League government is implementing development projects worth millions of taka in this southern parliamentary seat. Among them Kuakata Tourism, Payra Sea Port, Payra Thermal Power Station, Submarine Landing Station, Sher-e-Bangla Naval Base, Four Lane Road, Six Lane Road, Sheikh Kamal Bridge, Sheikh Jamal Bridge, Sheikh Rasel Bridge, Shaheed Nazrul Islam Bridge, Tiakhali Bridge, Chakamiya China Friendship Bridge has added a new dimension to the development and prosperity of the country. Bullet train, solar power plant, nuclear power plant, airport, special economic zone projects are under process. 

Boat has won in this constituency even during BNP regime. However, during the dictatorship Ershad's regime, Japa (A) candidate became an MP by snatching the ballot boxes of boat lovers. However, BNP demands many people have been evicted in the name of for development. The Awami League government did not make any arrangements for the rehabilitation or employment of these displaced people. Which will impact on the next election in this constituency. And voters will vote for BNP as a result of the way people's constitutional rights have been taken away.

The total number of voters in this seat is 2 lakh 88 thousand 341 people. Among them, one lakh 99 thousand 455 people are in Kalapara and 88 thousand 886 people in Rangabali upazila. Among the total voters, male voters are 1 lakh 46 thousand 267 and female voters are 1 lakh 42 thousand 74. In the 2008 election, Awami League nominated candidate won this seat by getting 90 thousand 775 votes. The BNP candidate of the four-party alliance got 60 thousand 12 votes. Then in the 2014 election, the Awami League candidate was elected unopposed.

In 2018, Principal Md. Mohibbur Rahman was elected after receiving a record number of votes. After he became MP, he opened all the rivers, canals, sluices, culverts of this constituency for farmers. Terrorism, extortion, arbitration business freed this constituency. 

Principal Md. Mohibbur Rahman said, 'Honorable Prime Minister Bangabandhu's daughter, Desh ratna Sheikh Hasina has given me the opportunity to serve the people of this seat. Recently, I received the International Mother Teresa Award in Dubai for serving the people properly, which I dedicated to the Prime Minister.' Mohibbur Rahman also said, 'The Prime Minister is implementing a master plan for the development of coastal areas. The implementation of the Master Plan for the development of Kuakata Tourism Center is ongoing. Electricity has been brought to the isolated island of Rangabali through a submarine cable under the river. Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina is credited with the establishment of judicial magistrate court, 50-bed hospital, government commercial bank, groundbreaking development of communication system at Rangabali. If I get nominated from the party, I will win with huge votes, Inshallah.'

Upazila Awami League president Md. Mahbubur Rahman is another candidate for nomination of Awami League. He was elected MP in this constituency in the eighth, ninth and tenth national parliament elections. After becoming the state minister for water resources in the ninth parliament, he created a cadre of his own followers in the area, infiltrated hybrids inside the party, opened a contracting company named Gangamati and started tendering, doing appointment business from the president of a dozen educational institutes, grabbed land and became the owner of huge financial assets without valid income source. When the matter came up in the media, the ACC filed two separate cases against Mahbub and his wife Preeti Haider in Dhaka's Ramna police station on charges of acquiring assets outside of known income. After complete investigation the ACC filed a charge sheet in the court accusing both of them. After that, the Special Judge Court of Dhaka Division framed charges against Mahbub in case 08/2015 and against Preeti Haider in case 10/2016. In this, Mahbub was deprived of the nomination of the party in the 11th National Parliament election.

Apart from this, ACC has started investigating two separate cases related to allegations of misappropriation of mosque money and college money on the orders of the court. And the party got embarrassed as his nonsense comment calling the 11th National Assembly election a 'night vote' went viral on social media. He was recommended to be expelled from the party at the center.

Former NSI, former SSF director, Brigadier General (retd) Md. Habibur Rahman Milon wants Awami League nomination from this seat. He said, 'By birth, I am a member of the Awami League family. I expect nomination this time due to the possibility of performing professional duties with utmost honesty and becoming a good member of parliament in the belief of building a smart Bangladesh. If I become an MP, I will use my skills and experience to transform the youth into skilled manpower and involve them in development activities.

Also, the Awami League nominees from this seat are district Awami League vice-president Principal Syed Nasir Uddin, United States Awami League leader Alauddin Ahmed, Awami League Central Sub-Committee former joint secretary Nihar Ranjan Sarkar Milton, son of former member of parliament late Anwar-ul-Islam and Awami League Central Sub-Committee former joint secretary Abdullah-al-Islam Liton, Juboleague's central committee organizing secretary advocate Shamim Al Saiful Sohag, former student leader and vice president of Dhaka Metropolitan South Jubo League, Mursalin Ahmed, etc.

On the other hand, BNP's one candidate for this seat is Central Committee Training Secretary and Upazila BNP President ABM Mosharraf Hossain. BNP is well organized and united here in forming a new committee of all units in the Trinamool Council of the main party and affiliated organizations targeting the election. However, BNP candidate ABM Mosharraf Hossain said, "Election means the judgment of the people, which is established through voting. But the right to vote has been taken away under the current Awami government. BNP believes that free and fair elections are not possible without a neutral government during the elections. Therefore, BNP's clear announcement is that we will not go to the elections under any party government."

Musharraf also said, "We think that many people have been evicted in the name of development in 114, Patuakhali-4 constituency. The Awami League government did not make any arrangements for the rehabilitation or employment of these displaced people. Which will have a huge impact on the next election in this constituency. And voters will vote for BNP as a result of the way people's constitutional rights have been taken away." – Gofran Biswas Palash