BANGLADESH Cricket Captain Wins Parliamentary Poll

BANGLADESH ODI and T 20 captain Mashrafe Mortaza has won handsomely as a candidate  of the ruling  Awami League  headed by  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina  Wajed  to become first active  crickter  of  the  Muslim  majority  nation  to become a parliamentarian. Mortaza contested from Narail-2 constituency about  210 km from Dhaka  polling 274,418 votes against the  BNP led  Jatiya Oikya Front’s  alliance nominee Fariduzzaman Farhad received 8,006 votes, according to the results announced by the Election Commission. The Bangladeshi international cricketer also captained his nation in Twenty20 Internationals. The  right handed  35-year-old pacer nicknamed ‘Narail Express’, is the second national cricket team captain after Naimur Rahman Durjoy to become an MP. He is the first active player to achieve the honour, the report said.Mortaza filed his nomination last month. He became the first-ever sitting cricketer to try his luck in national politics. Polling in Bangladesh was held on December 30 last .Speaking to prothomalo.com during polling Mortaza said: “I have visited almost 30 centres in my constituency and found the atmosphere to be peaceful. There is no sign of violence.”He is yet to make it clear whether he will continue to play internationals for his country after becoming a parliamentarian.((image courtesy to Scroll.in)