Cricket player Shakib Al Hasan was nominated by the ruling party for the Magura-1 seat in the next national parliamentary elections. He is pictured today walking in front of the Gono Bhaban, accompanied by Awami League activists. Amran Hossain in photo
While incumbent member of parliament Naimur Rahman Durjoy, a former national cricket captain, was unable to secure a nomination from the ruling party, Shakib Al Hasan led a group of former stars to be nominated by the ruling Awami League for the 12th national parliamentary elections.
When AL general secretary Obaidul Quader revealed 298 nominees from the ruling party at the gathering at Bangabandhu Avenue on Sunday afternoon, Shakib’s name became known.
Shakib will run from the Magura-1 constituency in the elections, which are set for January 7.
Shakib will be running for office in the national elections for the first time, but other sports figures have also been nominated to serve as current members of parliament. These include former national cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (Narail-2), former national football player and senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Football Federation Abdus Salam Murshedy (Khulna-4), acting director-in-charge of Abahani and vice-president of the BFF Kazi Nabil Ahmed (Jashore-3).
In addition to them, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel received a ticket from the Awami League for the Moulvibazar-2 seat, and BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon kept his nomination from the Kishoregonj-6 seat.
But Durjoy, a two-term member of parliament from Manikganj-1, was unable to get the party to nominate him. In addition, the party dismissed Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, the secretary general of Chittagong Abahani, from the Chittagong-12 constituency.