AL upbeat as PM Hasina to launch election campaign from Sylhet Wednesday

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will kick off her party's election campaign on Wednesday through visits to the shrines of saints Shahjalal and Shah Paran in Sylhet.

According to the party and PMO sources, PM Hasina will arrive here on Wednesday morning and then offer ziarat at Hazrat Shahjalal's mazar followed by ziarat at Hazrat Shah Paran's mazar.

In the afternoon, she is scheduled to hold a public rally at the Government Alia Madrasha ground in launching the ruling Awami League party's campaign for the 7 January polls to elect the country's 12th parliament.

Awami League Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak and other central leaders visited the rally venue on Tuesday noon. Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury and leaders of the district and metropolitan Awami League were also present.

To make the rally successful, a divisional representative meeting was held at a convention hall in Sylhet city in the presence of about a dozen central leaders including Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif on 13 December. Awami League leaders of four districts of Sylhet division were present at the meeting.

At the meeting, all the Awami League candidates of 19 constituencies in the division contesting with the party's election symbol, boat, were instructed to bring at least 10,000 people each in the rally.

Meanwhile, the leaders and activists of Awami League have become enthusiastic about the arrival of the prime minister in Sylhet. Meetings and campaign rallies are going on at different parts of the city. 

Regarding PM Hasina's visit and public rally in Sylhet, Metropolitan Awami League Joint General Secretary Azadur Rahman Azad said, "Sheikh Hasina starts election campaigns from the holy land of Sylhet every time. This time is no exception."

"The news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Sylhet has created enthusiasm not only among the party leaders and activists but also among common people. We are hopeful that the election fever will intensify across the country after seeing the public rally in Sylhet," he said. 

Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, president of Sylhet district Awami League, said all preparations have been taken to hold a large public rally marking the PM's arrival in Sylhet and leaders and activists from every district and upazila of the division will join the rally. 

"Realizing that BNP-Jamaat made a mistake by not taking the election train, they are now conspiring to reduce voter turnout on 7 January. They are trying to create fear among the people by arson attacks," he added. 

Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury said the people of Sylhet are ready to welcome Sheikh Hasina. "We are ready to follow the directives of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina."

The 12th parliamentary election will be held on 7 January 2024 as Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal announced the polls schedule on 15 November.

A total of 11,96,91,633 voters throughout the country are eligible to cast their votes.

The last parliamentary election was held on 30 December 2018.