Shawdesh Desk:

Six aspirants, including Jatiya Party founder HM Ershad’s son, youngest brother and nephew, are on the list to be the JP candidate in the by-poll for Rangpur 3 constituency.

The list includes Ershad’s son Shad Ershad, his youngest brother Hussain Murshed, his nephew Asif Shahriar, JP presidium member Fakhruzzaman Jahangir, JP Rangpur city unit general  secretary SM Yasir and JP organising secretary Abdur Razzaq, several JP presidium members and lawmakers told New Age.

The constituency located at the centre of Rangpur is regarded the mecca of the party from where Ershad won all elections since the end of his military dictatorship.

It was declared vacant by Jatiya Sangsad two days after Ershad’s death on July 14.

The ruling party Awami League and its main opposition the BNP also announced that they would contest in the by-poll to secure the seat, taking advantage of the ‘suppressed tension’ now prevailing in the JP following Ershad’s death.

JP lawmaker Fakhrul Imam said that he along with some other lawmakers had already talked with Ershad’s widow and also JP senior co-chairperson Rawshan Ershad to make Shad the party candidate. ‘We thought Shad is an ideal candidate as politics of successorship is very popular in the country. Madam [Rawshan] also agreed to our proposal,’ Fakhrul said.

JP presidium member Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa, who is also Rangpur city corporation mayor, said that four aspirants — Asif, Jahangir, Yasir and Razzaq were trying to garner support of the local leaders and activists to win the race. ‘Others do not have any activity. The candidate, however, will be nominated by the party high-ups,’ he said.

The aspirant Jahangir said that he expressed his desire to be the party candidate if the JP did not decide to nominate Ershad’s son or nephew.

Yasir claimed that presidents and secretaries of all ward and union units would nominate me for consideration of the central leaders from a press conference tomorrow.

‘I’ve heard that some lawmakers were lobbying for Shad while Quader chacha [GM Quader] requested his youngest brother Murshed, a US citizen, to be the candidate. But people do not want them,’ he claimed, adding that Ershad’s nephew Asif was expelled by the former leader for disobeying his order during the Rangpur city corporation election held in 2017.

New Age could not take comment of former lawmaker from Rangpur 1 constituency Asif, Ershad’s son Shad or his youngest brother Murshed.

The JP lawmaker and also presidium member Kazi Firoz Rashid said that the party would sell nominations after announcement of the election schedule. The candidate would be finalised after Ershad’s chehlum on August 22, he said.