Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday announced party nominees for 237 constituencies for the upcoming parliamentary election, prioritising leaders who have remained politically active and made sacrifices during the iron-fisted rule of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League.
Some heavyweight and senior leaders have been dropped, while a number of younger leaders have been given the opportunity to contest the election with the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.
Despite physical condition, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is set to contest the 13th parliamentary election from three constituencies. This will be her first election since 2008, as she was barred from participating in the 2018 polls following her imprisonment in two graft cases, while the party boycotted both the 2014 and 2024 elections.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, who has been living in London for more than 17 years, will contest from Bogura-6, a BNP stronghold. It will also be his first election since 2007, when the polls were cancelled following the 1/11 political changeover. Tarique had been elected unopposed in that election.
BNP announced the list of 237 potential candidates, out of 300 seats, at a press conference held at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan.
The sudden announcement, made after a five-hour-long Standing Committee meeting, generated great enthusiasm among party leaders, activists and supporters nationwide. A large crowd of leaders gathered at the party office to find out who had secured nominations.
A total of ten women, including Khaleda, were nominated. More women may receive nominations in the final list.
Of the remaining 63 seats, alliance partners are expected to receive 30 to 40, while the rest will be reserved for BNP leaders.
Although BNP leaders said the announced nominations were not final, supporters of several potential candidates staged protests in different areas after their preferred leaders were not selected.
“Former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will contest the upcoming election from Dinajpur-3, Bogura-7 and Feni-1, while acting chairman Tarique Rahman will contest from Bogura-6,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He added that the BNP refrained from nominating candidates in constituencies where its allies from the previous simultaneous movement intended to contest, noting that final decisions would be made after discussions once the allies announced their nominees.
“Candidates for the remaining constituencies will be announced later. Changes may also be made to this list of potential candidates,” he said.
Mirza Fakhrul himself will contest from Thakurgaon-3. He was elected from Bogura-6 in the 2018 election but did not take the oath.
The 13th parliamentary election is expected to be held in the first half of February 2026, without the participation of the major political party Awami League and its allies, as the activities of the ousted party have been banned by the interim government on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the July uprising.
The poll schedule is expected to be announced in December.
Earlier, the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, wrote to the Election Commission on 6 August instructing it to prepare for holding the national election by mid-February, creating an electoral atmosphere in the country.
Following this, several parties, including the National Citizen Party (NCP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, Ganatantra Mancha, AB Party, LDP, and the Bangladesh Labour Party, introduced their probable candidates for different constituencies.
Khaleda Zia, the three-time prime minister, was freed following her acquittal from all charges amid a changed political landscape after the fall of Sheikh Hasina through a mass uprising on 5 August 2024.
Those senior and mid-level leaders considered
Out of 16 standing committee members, 12 got the ticket. They are Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain (Comilla-1), Mirza Abbas (Dhaka-8), Gayeshwar Chandra Roy (Dhaka-3), Abdul Moyeen Khan (Narsingdi-2), Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury (Chittagong-10), Salah Uddin Ahmed (Cox’s Bazar-1), Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku (Sirajganj-2), Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Bhola-3), and AZM Zahid Hossain (Dinajpur-6).
Among the vice chairmen, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury (Patuakhali-1), Barkat Ullah Bulu (Noakhali-3), Mohammad Shahjahan (Noakhali-4), Abdul Awal Mintu (Feni-3), Nitai Roy Chowdhury (Magura-2), Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad (Comilla-3), and Ahmed Azam Khan (Tangail-8) have been nominated.
From the Chairperson’s Advisory Board, Monirul Haque Chowdhury (Comilla-6), Aman Ullah Aman (Dhaka-2), Mahbub Uddin Khokon (Noakhali-1), Zainul Abdin Faruk (Noakhali-4), Zahir Uddin Swapan (Barisal-1), Mujibur Rahman Sarwar (Barisal-5), Lutfuzzaman Babar (Netrokona-4), Tajvir Ul Islam (Kurigram-3), Habibur Rahman Habib (Pabna-4), Mushfiqur Rahman (Brahmanbaria-4), Afroza Khan Rita (Manikganj-3), Moinul Islam Khan (Manikganj-2), Khandaker Abdul Muktadir (Sylhet-1), Tahmina Rashdir Luna (Sylhet-2), Abul Khair Bhuiyan (Lakshmipur-2), Enamul Haque Chowdhury (Sylhet-6), Abdus Salam Pintu (Tangail-2), Joynal Abedin (Feni-2), Fazlur Rahman (Kishoreganj-4), and Naser Rahman (Moulvibazar-3) have been nominated.
Among the joint secretary generals, Khairul Kabir Khokon (Narsingdi-1), Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee (Lakshmipur-3), and Syed Emran Saleh Prince (Mymensingh-1) get the nominations.
Freedom fighter Fazlur Rahman has also secured the nomination despite some of his controversial remarks.
Those heavyweights dropped
BNP has shown the door to some heavyweight leaders. Some of the names are BNP Standing Committee members Jamir Uddin Sircar, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Selima Rahman and Nazrul Islam Khan, Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Chairperson’s Advisors Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, BNP senior Joint General Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Joint Secretary Habibunnabi Khan Sohel and National Executive Committee Vice Chairman Asaduzzaman Ripon.
Of the four standing committee members, three Jamir Uddin, Rafiqul Islam and Nazrul Islam did not seek the nomination while nomination of Selima’s constituency was not declared yet.
Female candidates
In addition to Khaleda Zia, nine other women were given nominations for contesting the upcoming national.
They are: Farzana Sharmin (Natore-1), MA Sabira Sultana (Jessore-2), Israt Sultana Elen Bhutto (Jhalokati-2), Sansila Zebrin (Sherpur-1), Afroza Khan Rita (Manikganj-3), Sanjida Islam Tuli (Dhaka-14), Shama Obaid Islam (Faridpur-2), MA Tahsina Rushdir (Sylhet-2), and Nayab Yusuf Ahmed (Faridpur-3).
Who got nominations in Dhaka
Out of 20 seats, the BNP announced names for 13 seats. The candidates are Khandaker Abu Ashfaq for Dhaka-1, Amanullah Aman for Dhaka-2, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy for Dhaka-3, Tanvir Ahmed Robin for Dhaka-4,Nabi Ullah Nabi for Dhaka-5, Ishraque Hossain for Dhaka-6, Mirza Abbas for Dhaka-8, M A Qaiyum for Dhaka-11, Saiful Alam Nirab for Dhaka-12, Sanjida Islam Tuli for Dhaka-14, Shafiqul Islam Khan for Dhaka-15, Aminul Haque for Dhaka-16 and Dewan Salah Uddin Babu for Dhaka-19.
The previous 3 elections
Assuming office after 2008 elections, Sheikh’s government brought the 15th amendment to the Constitution and scrapped the caretaker government provision in line with the verdict of the apex court, beginning a political impasse.
The BNP-led by Khaleda Zia, boycotted the 2014 general elections, as their demand for non-partisan government to oversee the elections was not met.
Under Hasina’s administration, BNP under the banner of Oikya Front led by Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain joined the 2018 polls after much drama keeping Khaleda Zia in jail and Tarique Rahman in London.
BNP also boycotted the 2024 election.
The last three elections are widely manipulated and rigged by Hasina’s regime.
