With the election schedule announced, the race for the 13th National Parliamentary Election has formally begun. Yet in Dhaka, many heavyweight leaders stepped into campaign mode well before the official countdown.
Across neighbourhoods of the capital, posters of prospective candidates already dominate walls, intersections and street corners.
Major parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), announced their probable candidates ahead of the schedule. Party insiders say minor adjustments remain possible, but nominations in Dhaka constituencies now appear largely settled.
Dhaka-15
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman is contesting Dhaka-15, comprising parts of Mirpur and Kafrul. He also ran in the 2018 election as a BNP–Jamaat alliance candidate, giving him prior organisational experience in the constituency.
BNP nominee Safiqul Islam Khan Milton stands as his main challenger. The NCP has nominated Major (retd) Muhammad Alamgir Ferdous, a figure associated with last year’s student-led mass movement.
Dhaka-8
BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas is contesting Dhaka-8, covering Motijheel, Shahjahanpur, Paltan, Shahbagh and Ramna. He previously won the seat in 1991 and 2001.
Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated Dr Md Helal Uddin, nayeb-e-ameer of Dhaka City South. Party sources, however, say Jamaat may replace him with Ducsu vice-president Abu Shadik Kayem. The NCP has yet to name a candidate.
Independent contender Sharif Osman Hadi of Inqilab Mancha also entered the race, though uncertainty surrounds his candidacy following a recent shooting incident.
Dhaka-11
NCP convener Nahid Islam is contesting Dhaka-11, which includes Rampura, Badda and Vatara. His ancestral home lies in Satarkul, while he currently lives in Banasree.
BNP nominee Dr MA Qayyum, the party’s microfinance affairs secretary, poses a strong challenge. A veteran organiser, he began his political career as a city corporation ward representative in Badda.
Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Advocate Atiqur Rahman is also in the race.
Dhaka-18
NCP Chief Organiser Nasiruddin Patwary is contesting Dhaka-18, covering Airport and Uttara areas. BNP named SM Jahangir Hossain in its second phase of nominations.
Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Ashraful Haque secured his nomination earlier and has already intensified campaigning across the constituency.
Dhaka-9
Prominent NCP leader Dr Tasnim Jara is contesting Dhaka-9, which includes Sabujbagh, Khilgaon and Mugda. BNP has nominated Habibur Rashid, a former Chhatra Dal general secretary.
Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Kabir Ahmed, also a central vice-president of the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Federation, is contesting the seat.
Dhaka-17
In Dhaka-17, comprising Cantonment, Gulshan and Banani, Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho, president of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), is contesting with BNP’s backing.
Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated Dr SM Khaliduzzaman, while the NCP named Dr Tajnuva Jabeen as its candidate.
Dhaka-13
The BNP has left Dhaka-13 open for NDM chairman Bobby Hajjaj, signalling tacit support for his bid in Mohammadpur, Adabor and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Mobarak Hossain and NCP nominee Akram Hossain have also joined the race.
Dhaka-10
Former adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, who recently resigned from the advisory council, may contest Dhaka-10, covering Dhanmondi, New Market, Kalabagan and Hazaribagh.
Speculation grew after he reportedly registered as a voter in the constituency.
BNP has nominated Sheikh Robiul Alam for the seat, while Jamaat-e-Islami named Advocate Jasem Uddin as its parliamentary candidate.
As campaigning gains pace, Dhaka is set to witness a high-stakes contest where veteran politicians, emerging leaders and shifting alliances collide in one of the most closely watched electoral battlegrounds in the country.
