AL-led 14-party candidates to contest polls with ‘Boat’: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said the candidates of the AL-led 14-party alliance will contest the upcoming general election with ‘Boat’, the election symbol of Awami League.

There is every possibility that Awami League will contest the election under the Grand Alliance, he said hinting that AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury-led Juktafront may join the ruling coalition.

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said this while briefing reporters after a meeting of Awami League Parliamentary Board (ALPB) held at the party central office at Bangabandhu Avenue here with AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

“There may be an alliance with Juktafront. But the decision has not taken yet whether they’ll contest the polls with ‘Boat’ or their own symbol. We think they’ll run the polls with their own symbol,” said the AL general secretary.

“The 14-party alliance will contest the election with Boat. The remaining parties will run with their respective symbols,” he said.

The Grand Alliance is comprised of the 14-party alliance and Jatiya Party.

About sharing parliamentary constituencies among the components of the Grand Alliance, Quader said aspirants from other parties of the alliance alongside AL hopefuls will submit nomination papers in the election, but the competent aspirants will be given nomination finally.

“We’ve survey reports in hands. We’ll sit with alliance partners. We’ll select competent candidates through discussions,” he said.

The AL general secretary said the ALPB meeting extended the deadline for its aspirants to submit nomination forms till Monday 6:00pm. The timeframe will not be extended further, he added.

On Friday last, Awami League started distribution of nomination forms among its aspirants and receiving the forms at the AL’s President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office.

Quader said ALPB will take interviews of all the aspirants at 11am on Wednesday next.

In reply to a question over Jatiya Oikyafront’s demand for revising the election schedule, the AL leader said, “If the Election Commission wants, it can extend. We’ll have no objection.”

ALPB members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim were also present.

On November 8 last, the Election Commission announced the election schedule fixing that the voting will be held on December 23.

As per the schedule, the deadline for submission of nomination papers is November 19 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is November 29.

Source: unb