Women seat in parliament and dedicated Awami League activists

by Special Correspondent
November 25, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1968/women-seat-in-parliament-and-dedicated-awami

Dedicated women leaders and activists of ruling Bangladesh Awami League are violently reacting seeing a large number of aspirant candidates seeking party's selection as the Member of Parliament in the reserved seats are mostly outsiders, who have never contributed anything in the near past for the party. But, according to a number of sources, finally, a major segment of the 5 [five] recently added seats will go to new faces, while most of the dedicated leaders and activists of Bangladesh Awami League will be once again deprived.

Party outsiders such as singer Runa Laila, Rumana Morshed Konok Chapa; writer Baby Moudud, liberation war hero Ferdousi Priyobhashini and Panna Kaiser [wife of late Shahidullah Kaiser] already collected nomination forms. While on the other hand, at least 300 extremely dedicated leaders and activists of Bangladesh Awami League, such as Fazilatunnesa Indira, Akhtar Jahan, Jannat Ara Henry, Lutfur Nahar Munni, Purnima Bhattacharya, Sharmin Wadud Nipa and recently murdered Narsingdi mayor Lokman Hussain's wife Nadira Akter Rubel have collected the nomination forms. Amongst others, who have collected the forms are, Nurjahan Begum Mukta, Sadhana Das Gupta, Mahmuda Begum Krik, Hasinadowla, Nasima Ferdousi, Professor Khaleda Khanam, Pinu Khan, Shirin Nayeem Punom, Parul Akter, Marshad Akhter Khuki, Asma Akter Runa, Parvin Huq Sikder, Samsunnahar, Romeza Akhter Khan Mahin, Umme Kulsum Smriti, Hosne Ara, Kuheli Kuddus Mukti, Morzina Parveen, Advocate Abida Anjum Mita, Advocate Umme Razia Kajol, Razia Begum, Samsunnahar, S A Jahan, Hasina Mannan, Advocate Rehana Begum Ranu, Kamrun Nahar Putul, Zakia Nizam, Dilruba Foyzia, Kamrun Nahar, Shahida Khanam, Shirin Rukhsana, Monira Parveen, Nazma Hossain Baby, Nurjahan Begum, Jinnat Rahman, Ashalota Boidda, Rita K Afjal, Farida Yasmin Chowdhury, Monosree Biswas Mrittika, Saheda Islam, Afroza Julfi, Nasrin Jahan Sefali, Farida Yasmin Jhuma, Syeda Razia Mustafa, Advocate Rina Parveen, Sheikh Runa Rahman Putul, Sheuli Begum, Ferdous Ara Begum, Suraiya Nigar Sultana Dorothi, Syeda Jahanara Wahid, Alhaj Rezia Begum, Advocate Fazilatunnesa, Selina Begum Shopna, Professor Nasima Banu, Advocate Keya Chowdhury, Shefali Sultana, Rehana Begum Rani, Kazi Kaniz Sultana, Nilufar Chowdhury Nila, Umme Fatema Rozi, Kamrun Nesa Mannan, Tahmina Khatun, Sonali Mirza, Sahida Begum, Profossor Tahmina Akhter Jahan, Advocate Fazilatunnesa Bappi, Syeda Rubina Akhter Mira, Advocate Samsunnahar Begum, Husne Ara Wahid, Advocate Bashonti Probha Palit, Professor Alhaj Fatema Khatun, Advocate Dipti Dey Dipa, Advocate Niva Rani Biswas, Trifoli Daring Tripli, Rezia Islam, Rani Gazi, Nipa Rahman, Sahida Akhter Jahan, Rokeya Jamal, Syeda Kashpia Nahrin Disha, Ferdous Akhter, Moti Sheuli Roy, Professor Tahmina Siddiqi, Advocate Farzana Parveen Munni, Rekha Alam Chowdhury, Rabeya Alim, Tania Huq Shobha, Sahnaj Siddiqi, Laijin Ara Lina, Alhaj Shafia Khatun and others.

A number of sources inside Bangladesh Awami League confirmed that candidates such as Ferdousi Priyobhashini, Panna Kaiser and Baby Moudud are surely going to get selected as Members of Parliament in the reserve seats, while murdered Awami League leader and mayor of Narsingdi, Lokman Hussain's wife is also at the top of the list of the best possible candidates to get selected. It hinted, only one or two seats may be given to the dedicate leaders and activists of the ruling party, while most of such candidates won't see any such favor from the party supremos.

Terming party outsiders such as Runa Laila, Kanak Chapa, Baby Moudud, Ferdousi Priyobhashini and Panna Kaiser as "winter birds", dedicated leaders and activists of Bangladesh Awami League said, "What contributions they have in bringing Awami League to power? Did they ever go on street risking their lives for the party? We were on the street during the BNP-Jamaat rule as well as caretaker government. Because of our hard work and dedication, today Awami League is in power. The party supremos must remember this simple fact. If we are ignored by them, it will be really difficult for many of us to remain with Bangladesh Awami League in future."

Another angry Awami League activist said, "Our party's image has been greatly tarnished with the nomination of outsiders like singer Momtaz, who has already created extremely nasty personal scandals. Selecting such people in the position of Members of Parliament will not only dampen Bangladesh Awami League's image but will also put the very dignity of the parliament and democracy at stake."

Commenting on collection of nomination form by singer Runa Laila, one of the angry female leaders of Awami League said "She even can't read and write in Bangla and she is one of the candidates to become member of the Parliament? Wah!"

It is hinted that, Baby Moudid, who is school-time friend of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to get selected as one of the five MPs, while veteran hero of the War of Independence, Ferdousi Priyobhashini will also get another seat. A large number of influential members of the ruling party are in favor of also selecting Panna Kaiser, who is the wife of another hero of the liberation war, Shahidullah Kaiser. Personally Panna Kaiser also enjoys high esteem in the society. She served as a member of parliament during 1996-2001 when Bangladesh Awami League was in power.

On the other hand, Ferdousi Priyabhashini is a brave woman and a celebrated Bangladeshi sculptor. She is a valiant freedom fighter of this country. Born in 1947 at the Khulna district, she got her unique name – Ferdousi Priyabhashini – from her grandfather. As her relationship with her husband began to deteriorate, Ferdousi decided to leave him in 1971 when she was 24.After the divorce, she joined Crescent Jute Mill to support her mother, younger brothers and sisters, and her own three children in 1971 when the war that liberated Bangladesh from the then East Pakistan broke out. She was raped and tortured brutally for seven-and-a-half months during the war of liberation by Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators. The occupation forces and the local people who collaborated with the Pakistan army compelled her to give sexual company to three to five people everyday on average.

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