Awami League plans star-studded surprise for election

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Pavel Haider Chowdhury
Published : 07:45, Sep 18, 2018 | Updated : 11:15, Sep 18, 2018

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given her green light to the plan for a star-studded charm offensive for the general elections due late this year.The ruling Awami League has adopted the strategy to float a host of celebrities as candidates to woo voters at the ballot box, according to party insiders.
In June this year, General Secretary Obaidul Quader told the media that they were toying with the idea to bring ‘some surprises’ on the list of their candidates.
According to senior leaders, party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given her green light to the plan for a star-studded charm offensive for the general elections due late this year.
“There’s a possibility of giving the party’s ticket to sportsmen, cultural, and media personalities,” said Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, who sits on the party’s policymaking Presidium.
The party is considering bringing a host of celebrities and A-listers as its candidates for the national election, Joint General Secretary Abdur Rahman said.
“Celebrities take part in politics and run for office in many countries, it’s nothing new,” he told Bangla Tribune.
General Secretary Obaidul Quader has already told the media that party chief Hasina has a list of sportsperson, cultural, and media personalities who she was considering as possible nominees.
Sources in the part said the number of these candidates in Dhaka and outside Dhaka will be something between 20 and 25.
According to them, the strategy received the party leadership’s nod as it will create a festivity over the polls as the fans will also take part in the campaigns and usual celebrity candidates often clinch the polls.
In May this year, speculations of national cricketers Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafee bin Mortaza were rife after Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, a sports organiser and former BCB chief, said Mashrafee would run from a Narail constituency while Shakib could also contest the polls if he wanted to.
Speaking to the media a few days later, Secretary General Obaidul Quader, however, declined to make “final comments” on on the possibilities of the two national cricket team captains joining politics.

/zmi/
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