Jamaat Candidate Says He Doesn't See Tarique as Challenge in Dhaka-17

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s candidate for Dhaka-17, SM Khaliduzzaman, has said he does not see BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman as a serious rival in the upcoming national election.

Khaliduzzaman made the comments while speaking to reporters after Returning Officer Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury approved his nomination paper. The returning officer also validated Tarique Rahman’s nomination for the same constituency following scrutiny.

Speaking to the media, Khaliduzzaman yesterday acknowledged that Tarique Rahman currently enjoys strong popularity in the area. However, when asked whether he felt challenged by Tarique’s candidacy, he said he was not concerned.

“I do not feel even the slightest challenge,” Khaliduzzaman said. He claimed that another individual who was initially expected to be the BNP candidate had shifted to a different constituency after seeing his popularity.

Citing what he described as personal assessments and reports, Khaliduzzaman said he does not view the contest as difficult and expressed confidence that voters in Dhaka-17 would support him overwhelmingly.

The Jamaat candidate also criticized what he called special treatment by the government toward Tarique Rahman. He said the same security forces that once sent Tarique abroad are now providing him with exceptional support after his return, calling the situation embarrassing for the country.

Khaliduzzaman further questioned how a candidate who has declared an income of Tk1 crore could afford to travel in vehicles worth Tk10 crore.