What is BNP's plan over 7 vacant seats in Dhaka?

The BNP has not yet finalised its candidates for the seven vacant seats in Dhaka out of the city’s 20 parliamentary constituencies.

According to sources, the party’s top leadership is considering several factors in nominating candidates for these seats. In this process, parties within alliances and those engaged in joint movements are being given priority. BNP is giving up seats in Dhaka to leaders from two such parties.

For another seat, the party is considering a senior leader from an Islamist party. For the remaining four seats, BNP’s top leadership has yet to make a final decision on party nominations.

On 3 November, BNP announced its candidates for 237 parliamentary seats. However, the nomination for the Madaripur-1 seat was suspended the following day. The total number of seats in the National Parliament is 300 (excluding reserved seats for women).

So far, BNP has not made any decisions regarding candidates for 63 seats, including the seven in Dhaka. These seats are: Dhaka-7: covering Lalbagh, Chawkbazar, Bangshal, Kamrangirchar (partial), and Kotwali (partial) areas of the capital, Dhaka-9: covering Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, and Mugda areas, Dhaka-10: covering Dhanmondi, New Market, Kolabagan, and Hazaribagh areas, Dhaka-13: covering Mohammadpur, Adabar, and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar (partial) areas, Dhaka-17: covering Dhaka Cantonment and Gulshan-Banani areas, Dhaka-18: covering Greater Uttara and the Airport area and Dhaka-20: covering Dhamrai Upazila.

According to multiple senior BNP sources, the party is considering giving up the Dhaka-7 seat to Maulana Mamunul Haque, Amir of the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis. However, Mamunul Haque’s consent has not yet been obtained. Although the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis is currently participating in a five-point movement (including a demand for a public referendum before the national election) along with eight parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan, sources say BNP’s senior leaders are still in contact with Mamunul Haque.

For Dhaka-17, BNP is giving up the seat to Andalib Rahman (Partha), chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) allied in joint movements. Multiple senior BNP sources have confirmed this. Andalib Rahman has already declared his candidacy by putting up posters in his constituency.
Similarly, BNP is giving the Dhaka-13 seat to Bobby Hajjaj, chairman of the Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM). He has already started campaigning in his constituency by putting up posters.

BNP has not yet announced a candidate for Dhaka-9. It is also uncertain whether the nomination in this constituency will go to an alliance candidate or a party candidate. Afroza Abbas, president of the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, is seeking nomination in this seat. She is the wife of Mirza Abbas, a member of BNP’s Standing Committee, who has been announced as the candidate for Dhaka-8.

This time, BNP has adopted a 'one candidate per family' policy. As a result, Afroza Abbas has been left out, according to party discussions. If the policy is relaxed in one or two cases, she may still receive the nomination, or another party leader could be chosen instead.

Tasnim Zara, senior joint secretary of the National Citizens Party (NCP), also wishes to contest in this constituency. If an electoral alliance is reached with NCP, BNP may extend support to her, sources say.

For Dhaka-10, potential nominees include Supreme Court lawyer Nasir Uddin Ahmed Asim and Sheikh Robiul Alam (Robi). Asim is a member of BNP’s Chairperson’s International Relations Support Committee, while Robiul is a member of BNP’s Executive Committee.

Nasir Uddin Asim told Prothom Alo, “42 per cent of voters in my constituency are from our Noakhali region. I hope the party will consider this when making its nomination.”

Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, adviser to the interim government, applied to become a voter in this constituency on 9 November. If an electoral arrangement is made with BNP, he could resign his adviser post and contest here, though he has not confirmed whether he will definitely run. In response to journalists’ questions after submitting his voter application at the Dhanmondi Police Station Election Office, he said, “For now, the plan is to contest independently. We’ll see after that.”

In Dhaka-20, there are four BNP hopefuls: Tamiz Uddin, president of Dhamrai Upazila BNP and central executive committee member; Yasin Ferdous (Murad), president of the Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal’s Dhaka district unit; Sultana Ahmed, central general secretary of the Jatiaytabadi Women’s Party; and Nazmul Hasan (Abhi), convener of Dhaka District Swechchhasebok Dal. Among them, discussions are mainly focused on Tamiz Uddin and Yasin Ferdous.

BNP has not yet decided whether the Dhaka-18 seat in Greater Uttara will go to an alliance partner or a party candidate. In the previous election, Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan, general secretary of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), a partner in the BNP-led Jatiya Oikya Front, contested here. Although he lost by a large margin in that election, which is known as a 'night vote', he received 72,000 votes. It is still uncertain whether he will be nominated this time. There is also discussion about nominating a leader from one of the parties participating in the joint movement with BNP in this constituency.

Among the potential BNP candidates for this seat, discussion has focused on four individuals: SM Jahangir Hossain, joint convener of Dhaka city north BNP; joint conveners Mostafizur Rahman (Segun) and M Kofil Uddin; and member secretary Mostafa Zaman. In the 2020 by-election for this seat (after Sahara Khatun’s death), BNP had nominated SM Jahangir Hossain. That election also saw allegations of various irregularities, including control over polling centres.

 SM Jahangir Hossain told Prothom Alo, “I have 329 cases filed against me, and I have been sentenced in two of them. I spent two and a half years in jail. Surely, the party’s top leadership will consider these factors when nominating candidates.”

Conversations with ten BNP leaders and activists at various local levels reveal that there is division within BNP in Greater Uttara, which has intensified ahead of the election. To block SM Jahangir Hossain, three other hopeful candidates have united. Recently, the three even delivered speeches together on the same stage.

Among these three hopefuls, M Kofil Uddin told Prothom Alo, “Locally, we observed that one person has come here. There are various complaints against his supporters in the area. That’s why we have come together.”

A leader of Uttara BNP said that the three united leaders now want Mir Mahbubur Rahman (Snigdha) to be nominated from this seat. Snigdha is the brother of Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mughda, who was martyred during the July mass uprising. He recently joined BNP.

Among the seats for which candidates have been announced, there is controversy or questions surrounding some of them. This has caused anger and protest among party leaders and activists in the respective areas.

In Dhaka-12, supporters of Anwaruzzaman, joint convener of Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP and a hopeful candidate for this seat, held a protest rally on Saturday. However, BNP has nominated Saiful Alam (Nirab), former convener of Dhaka city north BNP, for this constituency, which includes Tejgaon Industrial Area, Hatirjheel, and part of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

It is reported that some BNP leaders and activists have submitted complaints to the party’s top leadership and protested, demanding a change of candidate.

Dhaka-15 encompasses the Kafrul area. Here, BNP has nominated Shafiqul Islam Khan (Milton). Similar complaints have been made to the top leadership from various levels of the party, requesting a change of candidate.

A member of BNP’s Standing Committee, involved in the party’s nomination process, told Prothom Alo that nominations for the vacant seats will be announced soon. For those seats where controversy and reactions have arisen, changes may be made.