The Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) has long maintained a strong political position in the Chattogram region. The party has consistently performed well in national elections, and this time was no exception. Of the 58 seats in Chattogram division, the BNP won 48. Although BNP candidates are leading in two seats, the announcement of results has been suspended.
After Dhaka Division, the BNP secured the second-highest number of seats in Chattogram Division. According to unofficial results, BNP candidates won 57 of the 70 seats in Dhaka.
Among the other seats in Chattogram Division, Jamaat-e-Islami of the 11-party electoral alliance won 3 seats and the National Citizen Party (NCP) secured 2 seats. Additionally, BNP rebels won 3 seats. In all three of those constituencies, candidates with the paddy sheaf symbol were defeated.
Chattogram division comprises 11 districts. Among them, Chattogram district has the highest number of seats, 16. In the last competitive election in 2008, the BNP won 30 seats nationwide, 18 of which were in Chattogram Division. In 2001, when the BNP won a majority, it secured 195 seats in total, including 50 in the Chattogram region. In 1996, although the party failed to form the government, it won 34 seats in Chattogram Division, more than the Awami League (currently banned from activities).
Good results across all districts
BNP candidates won 12 of the 16 seats in Chattogram district this time. Following court orders, the results in Fatikchhari and Sitakunda constituencies have been suspended. However, BNP is leading in both. The other two seats were won by Jamaat-e-Islami.
The Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance failed to win any seats in Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Cox’s Bazar, Feni, Lakshmipur, and the three hill districts—Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachhari.
Among these districts, BNP candidates won all four seats in Cox’s Bazar, all three seats in Feni, all four in Lakshmipur, and all three seats in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
Reasons behind strong performance
Leaders at various levels of the BNP cited several reasons for the party’s consistent strong performance in the Chattogram region. According to them, greater Chattogram and its surrounding districts are strongholds of the BNP. Both political and social factors contributed to the success.
The party’s late chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia contested parliamentary elections from various constituencies in Chattogram and Feni. She won in all of them each time.
BNP leaders note that the party’s founder, Ziaur Rahman, declared independence from Chattogram during the Liberation War. He was assassinated by a group of renegade army officers at the Chattogram Circuit House on 30 May 1981. The late former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s ancestral home is also in this region—at South Shreepur village in Fulgazi upazila of Feni. Moreover, Khaleda Zia made significant contributions to the development of Chattogram.
After returning to the country from London, party chairman Tarique Rahman visited Chattogram on 20 January as part of his election tour. Returning to the port city after 20 years, he described Chattogram as a sacred land and said, “From here, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman declared independence. Here he was martyred. Even Khaleda Zia was given the title ‘Deshnetri (Leader of the Country)’ in Chattogram. Therefore, I and my family have an emotional connection with this Chattogram.”
Commenting on the BNP’s remarkable victory in Chattogram, party Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that during critical times or national crises, people place their trust in the BNP. He said, “The people have given us a great responsibility. We hope to fulfil their expectations.”
Influential candidates secured victory
Nearly all influential BNP leaders who contested in various constituencies of Chattogram division, known as a BNP stronghold, emerged victorious. Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury won Chattogram-11, and Salahuddin Ahmed won Cox’s Bazar-1. BNP Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo won Feni-3, Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie won Lakshmipur-3, Supreme Court Bar Association President A M Mahbub Uddin Khokon won Noakhali-1, and former Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque won Noakhali-2.
BNP secured double votes of Jamaat
In 34 of the 36 seats across five districts of greater Chattogram and the districts of Noakhali, Lakshmipur, and Feni, BNP candidates received over 1.8 million votes more than the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance candidates. In these constituencies, 34 BNP candidates secured 4,699,108 votes, while the 11-party alliance candidates received 2,885,284 votes.
Although the BNP maintained its strong position, Jamaat-e-Islami failed to do so. South Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar are also considered Jamaat strongholds. However, while Jamaat won two seats in South Chattogram, it failed to win any seats in Cox’s Bazar.
The party lost Cox’s Bazar-2 (Kutubdia–Maheshkhali), a seat it had held for a long time. In that constituency, the party’s Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad was defeated by the BNP candidate. However, in Cox’s Bazar-4 (Teknaf–Ukhiya), Jamaat candidate Nur Ahmad Anwari engaged in a close contest with the BNP candidate but lost by only 1,549 votes.
Associate Professor Md Bakthear Uddin of the Department of Political Science at Chattogram University told Prothom Alo that there are several reasons behind the BNP’s consistent strong performance in the Chattogram region.
Notably, the party’s late chairperson Khaleda Zia had contested elections from here. During its time in power, the party made significant contributions to infrastructure development in Chattogram. Additionally, many leaders from Chattogram hold important roles in the party’s central leadership, strengthening its organizational base, he added.