I am a worker of Joy Bangla: Shahjahan Omar

Former BNP leader Barrister Shahjahan Omar who won the Jhalkathi-1 (Rajapur-Kathalia) seat in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) poll from the ruling Awami League's (AL) ticket, said he is a worker of Joy Bangla. 

"I am a worker of Joy Bangla. I was a Member of Parliament many times before. I have been elected again. The leader [Sheikh Hasina] called upon me so I ran in the election," he said while speaking to reporters after being sown in as an MP on Wednesday (10 January).

Shahjahan Omar recently left the BNP after being released from jail and joined the Awami League.

He ran for the Jhalkathi-1 (Rajapur-Kathalia) seat from AL's ticket with the boat symbol.

He received 95,478 votes on the boat symbol, while his closest rival, Abu Bakar Siddique of the Zaker Party, secured 1,624 votes.

Among the other candidates, independent candidate Abul Kashem Fakhrul Islam received 370 votes on the 'truck' symbol, M Moniruzzaman, who withdrew from the candidature, garnered 625 votes on the eagle symbol, Bangladesh Congress Party's Mojibur Rahman received 142 votes on the green coconut symbol, Trinamool BNP nominee Jasim Uddin Talukder got 282 votes on the golden fibre symbol, Jatiya Party nominee Ejazul Haque received 1,272 votes on the plough symbol, and Sanskritic Muktijot candidate Mamun Sikder secured 97 votes on the stick symbol.

Shahjahan Omar, the former vice chairman of BNP, was expelled from the party after joining the ruling party.

Initially, the AL announced the name of the current Member of Parliament Bajlul Haque Haroon as the nominated candidate with the boat symbol for the Jhalakathi-1 seat.

Later, Shahjahan Omar was nominated as the party's candidate for that seat.