B’baria by-polls: Expelled BNP leader Sattar begins electioneering

Former lawmaker and expelled BNP leader Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan has begun his campaign for the by-election to Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail and Ashuganj) constituency slated for 1 February, breaking weeks of silence.

"I had to resign [from the parliament] due to unavoidable circumstances. I have decided to participate in the upcoming local election. There is no room for misunderstanding here. What I have done - have done it honestly and for the welfare of the people and the country. I want your help," Sattar said while addressing a view-exchange meeting, organised as part of the election campaign, at Paramananda village in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria on Thursday.

The veteran politician went off the grid after buying the nomination form to contest the by-polls as an independent candidate on 1 January.

What is interesting is that several local Awami League leaders, Abu Taleb and Saiful Islam, were also present at Sattar's election meeting.

Four candidates – three ruling Awami League leaders and one expelled Jatiya Party leader – have withdrawn their nominations so far.

The candidates are former lawmaker and an expelled leader of Jatiya Party Ziaul Haque Mridha, District Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Bari Chowdhury, former Joint General Secretary Moin Uddin and pro-Awami teachers' organisation "Swadhinata Teachers Parishad" General Secretary Shahjahan Alam.

Voters in the constituency feel that the withdrawal of four "heavyweight candidates" has paved the way for BNP's ousted leader Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan to win the election. 

Despite the withdrawal of four candidates, there are three more candidates apart from Sattar in the field.

They are Jatiya Party candidate Abdul Hamid Bhashani, Zaker Party candidate Zahirul Islam Jewel, and independent candidate Abu Asif Ahmed. 

Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan and four other BNP lawmakers submitted resignation letters to the Speaker of the Parliament on 11 December, as per the decision of the party's top brass.

Sattar was also the party chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser. The BNP expelled Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan from all posts of the party on 1 January, after the five-time lawmaker resigned from the post of the party chairperson's adviser on 29 December.

The move came after Abdus Sattar had collected a nomination form for Brahmanbaria-2 constituency by-polls as an independent candidate. 

Terming the participation of Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan in the by-polls "very disappointing", a former lawmaker and BNP leader Barrister Rumeen Farhana on 7 January said, "The government pressured Sattar into taking part in the by-polls. The government wants to make the resignations [of BNP lawmakers] controversial in any way possible and has done it successfully by bringing him (Abdus Sattar) into the election." 

Sattar, however, remained silent against BNP's decision to expel him or BNP leaders' remarks against him.

Thirteen candidates filed nomination papers to participate in this by-election. After the scrutiny on 8 January, the nomination papers of five candidates were declared cancelled.