Shahiduzzaman and Lutfur Rahman

Rebel candidates cloud prospects of 4-party alliance in Cox's Bazar where BNP candidates won all the four seats in 2001 election.
In Cox's Bazar-3 (Sadar and Ramu), there may be a hard contest between four-party alliance's new face Lutfur Rahman Kazol and rebel candidate former party lawmaker Mohammad Shahiduzzaman, a BUET engineer enjoying a clean image in the area.
Shahiduzzaman won the seat by bagging 1,13, 895 votes against Awami League's Mostaq Ahmed Chowdhury (8,312 votes) in 2001 poll.
Kazol faces another 'strong' rival--grand alliance candidate Awami League leader Saymun Sarwar Kamol, son of former ambassador in UAE Osman Sarwar.
Cox's Bazar-3 has the highest number of six candidates. The three others are RAM Ismail Faruq of Bangladesh Kalyan Party (BKP), Syed Ullaya Azad of Freedom Party and Saidul Islam Chowdhury of Gano Forum.
In Cox's Bazar-2 (Kutubdia-Moheshkhali) grand alliance candidate renowned environmental scientist Dr Ansarul Karim of Awami League faces Jamaat leader AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad.
Three other candidates in the constituency are Golam Mowla of Gano Front, Mohammad Solaiman of Islami Okya Jote and Mohammad Elyas of Zaker Party.
Former state minister Salah Uddin Ahmed won Cox's Bazar-1 (Chakaria-Pekuya) seat in 1996 and 2001 by defeating Awami League candidate Salah Uddin Ahmed CIP.
As BNP's Salah Uddin Ahmed is convicted in ERP case, his wife Hasina Ahmed will now face grand alliance nominee Salah Uddin CIP.
Locals said Hasina Ahmed may draw a large number of female voters.
Mohammad Iftekhar Uddin of National People's Party and Rafiqul Ahsan of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Basad) are two other contenders in the constituency.
BNP's Shahjahan Chowdhury won the Cox's Bazar 4 (Ukhiya-Teknaf) seat in 1991 and 2001 by defeating AL's Prof Mohammad Ali. Prof Mohammad Ali won the seat in 1996 as an AL candidate.
This time, four-party nominee Shahjahan Chowdhury faces grand alliance nominee Abdur Rahman Bodi of AL. Locals said Bodi is an influential person in the coastal and offshore areas.
Shahin Akter is another candidate in the constituency.