AL MPs, ministers won't support their relatives running in upazila polls: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said the ruling party and its MPs or ministers are not lending any support to their relatives who are contesting the upcoming upazila polls.

"One of my relatives has also become a candidate in the upazila election. The question is whether I have any support for him or whether I am influencing the administration or the electoral process in his favour," Quader told a press conference at the AL president's party office in Dhanmondi on Friday. 

"The candidate has no connection with our party or our leadership. There is no question of my support," he added.

Quader's comments came amid a flurry of reports that relatives of AL lawmakers or ministers have become candidates for upazila polls starting on 8 May. 

There are also allegations that those party leaders are trying to influence local administration and the electoral process in favour of their relative candidates. 

The AL general secretary said, "Many of such candidates have started withdrawing nomination papers in the meantime, while some have already withdrawn, including Golam Dastagir's son."

"I will not tolerate any kind of nepotism under any circumstances," he said. 

In reply to a question, he said they have nothing to do with those isolated incidents in which some people are individually trying to influence the polls without any party support.  

Explaining the prime minister's statement that everything should not be centralised in the family, Quader said, "If everything is centralised only to give all the benefits to the relatives, then where will the long-tested dedicated leaders of the party go? This is what our president said, and we also say."