Election hangover is over; reality setting in!

"A polling agent at the Char Boro Dhopli government primary school polling centre in Companiganj, Noakhali is seen trying to manipulate a voter into casting her vote for a particular candidate.Photo: Focus Bangla, Source: Daily Star, Jan 23rd, 2009."

Yesterday Upazilla election ended on a very different note than that of Dec 29th parliament election. Just by reading at the daily newspapers, it looks like the Upazilla election was a joke. Bangladesh just achieved a milestone towards a mature democracy on Dec, 29th. Now it looks like we can't even have a free and fair election when a political party is in power!

Prime Minister Sheik Hasina and EC warned minister's and MP's not to influence the Upazilla election, but did they listen? Sheik Hasina has a big challenge ahead of her just like US president Barak Obama. When people gave landslide victory to Awami League in the last parliamentary election, people put their trust and faith on AL leaders. Bangladesh Awami League needs to respect that trust and faith.

Prime Minister Sheik Hasina had a very good start with forming her cabinet with clean-honest MP's. That was game changing and got popular support. Then series of violence created by AL's student wing, home minister's partisan comment about the post election violence, robbery in Bangladesh railway, and at last Upazilla election makes me wonder, are we sliding back to the good old partisan politics of revenge and "do anything to stay in power" sort of political environment?

If AL Minister's and MP's don’t stay above the partisan politics, the hope of 15 million Bangladeshi's will fade very soon, just like before. Their dream of a prosperous Bangladesh will be destroyed again, just like before. If AL electorates don’t stay above the partisan politics, the Digital 2021 vision will not be realized. It will just be a vision then.

I urge our honorable Minister's not to think about how they can be re-elected in five years, but to think about how they can help build our beloved country. You are in power because of people, please don’t forget us. You are our hope, please don’t destroy that. I am counting on you and you have my support. But remember, I will question and criticize you when you are looking after your self interest than our peoples, because I love my country above anything else.

People of Megna and Daudkandi said NO to corruption :: Corrupt Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf defeated in Comilla-1

Major General (Retd.) Shubid Ali Bhuiyan defeated BNP heavy weight candidate and ex-minister, Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf in 2009 Bangladesh parliamentary election by 19,000 votes. It is the biggest achievement for Bangladesh Awami League. This is the first time in 33 years, an AL candidate won this seat.

I campaigned for my father, (Shubid Ali Bhuiyan) for over two weeks. It was great to see how people responded to our campaign message, "durnitir biruddey shangram". Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf tried to buy vote with his corruption money (kalo taka), but people of Megna and Daudkandi rejected "vote buying" scheme of corrupt Dr. Mosharraf.

I reached Dhaka on Dec 18th and left for Daudkandi same day. I didn't notice any BNP campaign activities since Dec 26th. I truely felt that, people of Daudkandi wanted a positive change and the change was in favor of Major General (Retd.) Shubid Ali Bhuiyan. Three days before the election night, we have heard that Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf and his "vote chor" allies where trying to buy votes. They were going door-to-door and giving people 1000 taka/vote. So we started a campaign to resist his "kalo taka" distribution. We setup nightly patrol (My brother and I personally participated), so "kalo taka" distribution is disturbed. This campaign effort caught on at the grass-root level and people were forming committees to stay awake all night to resist "kalo taka" distribution of Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf. This grass-root effort helped our campagin a lot.

This was amazing to see, how people responded to our campaign against corruption. This victory is a victory of the people of Megna and Daudkandi and victory against corruption. Now Shubid Ali Bhuiyan has long list of task to accomplish in next five years to bring "development" back in Daudkandi. I wish him best of luck and I will try my best to help him along the way. I am also very happy that democracy is being restored in Bangladesh. Thank you CTG for arranging this free and fair election.