Viral rickshaw puller Sujan, Mirza Abbas’ rival: Is it a betrayal by NCP by breaking the agreement with BNP?

Staff Correspondent

By nominating rickshaw puller Sujan Rahman, a viral character in the July riots, from Dhaka-8 constituency, the NCP has essentially broken the seat-sharing agreement it made with the BNP.

Party workers are alleging that the NCP has broken its unspoken agreement with the BNP for its own interests by fielding this ‘unexpected’ and lower-class rickshaw puller in the seat established by BNP standing committee member and senior leader Mirza Abbas.

Some believe that this incident could weaken the BNP-NCP relationship.

During last year’s anti-government riots, Sujan went viral by standing on a rickshaw and saluting the rioters. The media has made him a representative of the low-income people of Dhaka. A large number of poor people live in Dhaka-8 constituency (Motijheel-Shahjahanpur-Ramna). BNP workers believe that this stunt is being done to attract the votes of low-income people, including rickshaw pullers and daily wage workers.

At a press conference at the NCP’s temporary office in Bangla Motor on Wednesday, party chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari directly handed over the nomination papers to Sujan. Sujan said, “I will fight with the spirit of July, so that the voices of ordinary people like us can be heard.”

But this decision is like a ‘deception’ for the BNP. On November 3, the BNP announced the list of potential candidates for 237 seats, among which was the name of Mirza Abbas in Dhaka-8. The party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir clarified that the list will be finalized after discussions with the alliance. The BNP has specifically reserved 10 seats for the NCP, so that the July warriors are ensured representation.

But in a central constituency like Dhaka-8, where Mirza Abbas contested the 2018 elections and the party has a strong base, NCP’s move is being branded as ‘dishonest’ by BNP supporters.

A BNP leader in Dhaka, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We have given seats to the NCP out of respect for the July fighters, but will they take away our standing committee member seats? This is a violation of the alliance agreement. An experienced leader like Mirza Abbas cannot be insulted like this.”

Mirza Abbas’ supporters are refusing to accept the decision, claiming that the NCP’s move will confuse low-income voters in Dhaka-8 and split the alliance’s votes.

A BNP source said the party is now considering the possibility of changing seats so that the July spirit and party unity are preserved.

Why this ‘deception’ by NCP?

Analysts say that the fake popularity that has been created by Sujan using the media is a vote casting strategy of the NCP. The NCP is trying to garner votes from lower class voters by making Sujan an icon by positioning her as a platform for their July warriors. But does Sujan really have the qualifications to contribute at the national level by being elected as a member of parliament? Or does she have the minimum educational qualifications? The question remains.

In a social media post yesterday, BNP supporters wrote, “BNP fought to save the spirit of July, now the NCP is using that spirit to stab us in the back.”

This incident has exposed the internal conflicts in the alliance. If the NCP violates the agreement in this way, it could affect other BNP seats as well. Sujan’s popularity, in contrast to Mirza Abbas’s long political experience and the party’s organizational strength, will make the election more complicated.

The question arises: Will the spirit of July become a cause for internal sabotage in the alliance? Or will the BNP adopt a new strategy in response to this ‘deception’? Such tension at this early stage of the election raises questions about the future of the alliance.