The supporters and workers of Jahangir Alam, the rebel Awami League candidate for the Gazipur City Corporation election scheduled to be held on July 6, are upset over the withdrawal of his candidacy. Since his whereabouts are not currently known, his family is also worried. Jahangir Alam had withdrawn his candidature in favour of the Awami League backed-candidate, Advocate Azmot Ullah Khan, on Tuesday night following a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Khan, and senior leaders of the Gazipur district unit of the Awami League.
After this incident, however, Jahangir Alam has been completely silent, which has created apprehensions among his supporters and activists working for him as well as the city corporation’s voters. This has been the talk of the town for the last couple of days. Alam’s family members and his supporters are not sure of his whereabouts since Tuesday.
Jahangir Alam, a former vice president of central Chhatra League and a vice chairman of Gazipur Sadar upazila parishad, was contesting the election as a candidate of the Sammilito Nagorik Committee when he did not get the party’s support. But district Awami League leaders had requested him to withdraw his candidacy in favour of the party. But he refused and continued his campaign in the area.
However, within a few hours of the symbol being allocated to him, Alam withdrew his candidacy, which shocked his supporters and workers. Many of the activists did not believe this news.
Sources said Alam had purchased a large number of pineapples — his election symbol — from Joydebpur Bazar on Tuesday morning, and had started campaigning from Bangataj auditorium area. On Tuesday afternoon, while he was campaigning at Tongi Station Road area along with his activists, some former Chhatra League leaders called him to the Tongi Awami League office. They then picked up Alam in their car and went to hold a meeting at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s office in the Jatiya Sangshad Bhaban area.
After the meeting, the Prime Minister’s press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad, told media persons that Jahangir Alam had withdraw his candidacy in the interest of the party and announced his support to Advocate Azmot Ullah Khan. This news, which spread like wildfire in Gazipur, shocked his supporters. They could not believe the news. They tried to contact Alam on his cell phone, but both his cell phones were switched off. Alam is yet to appear in public places, which has raised many questions among the voters and people of the area.
Alam’s supporters suspect he was picked up and pressure exerted on him to withdraw from the fray. This is because he had struggled for his election till the very last day.
Advocate Azmot Ullah Khan said, “We did not exert any pressure on Jahangir Alam. He is my younger brother and supported me after meeting our leader Sheikh Hasina. Jahangir also assured us that he would work with us so that we can win the election.”
When asked where Jahangir Alam was, Khan said, “I do not know where he is now. I tried to contact him, but could not.”
Hundreds of supporters have been coming to Alam’s residence to meet him since Tuesday night, but he has not been at home. Jahangir Alam’s younger brother Mohammed Al-Amin said, “We have not been able to connect with him since Tuesday night. We, the family members, learnt about the withdrawal of his candidacy from the news on television. We are very concerned about him.”
-With The Independent input
