There are at least five contenders from the constituency comprising Assassuni upazila, party leaders said.

Awami League lost the seat in 2001 election as its candidate Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman was defeated by four-party alliance nominee Riasat Ali of Jamaat-e-Islami with a small margin, allegedly due to non-cooperartion by two other nomination aspirants.

Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman was elected from the constituency in 1996.

The rift widened as the rival factions observed party's recent agitation programmes separately.

A large faction of the party led by upazila AL president Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman and general secretary Shahidul Islam Pintu brought out a procession at the upazila town on September 23 as part of opposition alliance's countrywide agitation programme.

They held a rally at local BRDB premises at Assassuni with Dr.

Mokhlesur Rahman in the chair.

Speakers at the rally blamed the other faction led by Satkhira district AL industry secretary ABM Mostakim for dividing the party. Mstakim is also a nomination aspirant in the coming election.

Mustakim's followers brought out another procession and held a rally.

There are other aspirants also. They are district AL vice- president Bose Sukishan, Assassuni upazila AL general secretary Shahidul Islam Pintu and newcomers Lt. Col. (Rtd) Jamayet Ali and former Chhatra League leader Mir Mostaque Ahmed Rabi.

All are engaged in mass contact in the constituency, saying they would also be in the polls race.

The rival factions have been holding party programs separately for months, casting aspersions on leaders of either faction. The in-fighting has spread to grassroots level, frustrating workers, party sources said.

Taking advantage of the rift, another aspirant Mir Mostaque Ahmed Rabi staged a showdown on Sunday in the constituency.

The rift surfaced during the 2001 election after Dr. Mokhlesur Rrahman was nominated again, some party leaders said.

Failing to get nomination, aspirants Ruhul Amin and Sardar Hafizur Rahman, who contested from the constituency as AL candidates in 1986 and 1991 respectively, opposed Moslesur Rahman.

They worked against the AL candidate, who lost with a small margin of only 11,067 votes.

This correspondent talked to many local AL leaders regarding the intra-party feud and the pre-polls scenario. They include local Union Parishad chairman Matiur Rahman, Assassuni upazila AL vice- president and Bardal UP chairman Yunus Ali, Khajra union AL leader and Khajra UP chairman Ruhul Quddus, Assassuni thana AL leader Prof. Mafizul Islam and Shreeula union AL president former UP chairman Noor Mohammad.

They said Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman is an honest and popular leader.

They alleged that Mostakim had supported the four-party candidate in last election and threatened minority community people to vote for the Jamaat leader.

Dedicated Awami League leaders and activists support Dr. Mokhles as candidate as he is the fittest man, they said.

They called Mir Mostaque Ahmed a 'seasonal bird', who was not known to people earlier.

"He (Mostaque) is an outsider", said upazila AL leader Noor Mohammad.

However, Mustakim refuted the allegations.

On contact, Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman said, "Most of the leaders and activists in the area are with me".