BNP leaves Brahmanbaria-2 to Jamiat; Rumeen, two other BNP leaders to contest as independents

Former reserved-seat lawmaker and BNP's international affairs assistant secretary Rumeen Farhana has not received the party nomination from the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency (Sarail–Ashuganj and parts of Bijoynagar). BNP has ceded the seat to Maulana Junayed Al Habib,  vice president of the central committee of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh.

The information was disclosed on Tuesday at a press conference held at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan by the party’s Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. However, three BNP leaders have already announced that they will contest the seat as independent candidates. Earlier, the BNP announced its candidates for 272 constituencies in two phases, leaving this seat vacant.

BNP candidates have contested elections in the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency six times and won on every occasion. Maulana Junayed Al Habib will contest the election using the party symbol “Date Palm Tree.”

At least four aspirants had long been active in the field seeking the BNP nomination for this seat. Among them, Rumeen Farhana, SN Tarun Dey—Secretary General of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Welfare Front and a member of the district BNP—and district BNP member Akhtar Hossain have announced that they will run as independent candidates.

Rumeen Farhana has been active in the field for a long time to contest from this constituency. Almost every week, she visits the area, carrying out door-to-door campaigning and taking part in various social events. Her supporters claim that she enjoys strong popularity among grassroots party leaders and activists, general voters, and women voters.

Rumeen Farhana told Prothom Alo on Tuesday that party leaders and activists would collect nomination papers on her behalf on Wednesday. Other two BNP leaders, SN Tarun and Akhtar Hossain, also told Prothom Alo that they would collect nomination papers.

Upazila Jubo Dal Member Secretary Md Nur Alam expressed concern that if Rumeen and the two other party leaders contest as independents, the seat could slip out of the BNP’s hands. He said, “If the alliance candidate contests here with the Date Palm Tree symbol, they will get around 20,000 votes. After consulting with party leaders and activists, we will decide whom we will support.”

Several BNP leaders at the union level, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said that it would be difficult for a coalition candidate to win here using any symbol other than the sheaf of paddy. In that case, if Rumeen Farhana contests as an independent candidate, it would create problems for the coalition candidate.

Meanwhile, Sarail upazila BNP president Anichul Islam Thakur has advised everyone to work in line with the party’s decision. Asked whether there would be any problem if the coalition candidate contests using the date palm tree symbol instead of the sheaf of paddy, he said, “There will certainly be problems, but they will have to be overcome through collective effort.”