Some BNP allies to contest under sheaf of paddy, others under party symbol

So far, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has confirmed 15 seats for its partners in the simultaneous movement. Of these, leaders from all but six parties will contest the election under the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.

To this end, the top leaders of four parties have already dissolved their own parties and joined the BNP along with their leaders and activists.

In addition, the secretaries general of two other parties have left their parties and joined the BNP. To date, five leaders from allied parties have been allotted the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.

Despite reaching electoral understandings with the BNP, six parties have decided to contest the election under their respective party symbols.

These parties are: Nagorik Oikya, Ganosamhati Andolon, Bangladesh National Party (BJP), Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, Gono Odhikar Parishad and the Bangladesh Biplobi Workers Party.

Among them, BJP chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho submitted his nomination papers on Saturday for the Bhola–1 (Sadar) constituency. He has decided to contest using his party’s “Bullock Cart” symbol.

Andaleeve Rahman was initially expected to be a candidate in the Dhaka–17 (Gulshan–Banani–Cantonment) constituency.

However, senior BNP leaders have requested the party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, to contest from this seat. Under the circumstances, Andaleeve Rahman submitted his nomination papers for Bhola–1.

The BNP has already announced three top leaders of the five-party alliance “Ganatantra Mancha” as candidates: Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Saiful Haque, and Zonayed Saki.

Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna will contest from Bogura–2, Bangladesh Biplobi Workers Party general secretary Saiful Haque from Dhaka–12 and Ganosamhati Andolon chief coordinator Zonayed Saki from Brahmanbaria–6.

According to party sources, Mahmudur Rahman Manna will contest under the Kettle symbol, Saiful Haque under the Kodal (Spade) symbol, and Zonayed Saki under the Matthal (Straw Hat) symbol.

In addition, the BNP has declared Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque as its candidate for Patuakhali–3. He is also expected to contest under his party’s Truck symbol.

The BNP has reached an understanding with Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh over four constituencies: Sylhet–5, Brahmanbaria–2, Nilphamari–1 and Narayanganj–4.

Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh president Maulana Mohammad Ubaydullah Faruk will contest from Sylhet–5; vice-president Maulana Zunaid Al Habib from Brahmanbaria–2; secretary general Maulana Monzurul Islam Afendi from Nilphamari–1 and joint secretary general Mufti Monir Hossain Kasemi from Narayanganj–4.

Monzurul Islam Afendi told Prothom Alo that all candidates from his party will contest under the Date Palm Tree symbol.

In addition, Mufti Rashid bin Wakkas, senior joint secretary general of Bangladesh Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam led by Abdur Rohim Islamabadi, has been declared a candidate for the Jessore–5 (Manirampur) constituency.

If his nomination remains unchanged, he will contest under the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.

Both factions of Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam have aligned with the BNP. The faction led by Ubaydullah Faruk is registered and uses the Date Palm Tree symbol.

The Bangladesh Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam led by Maulana Abdur Rohim Islamabadi is not registered. The party’s central joint secretary general, Wali Ullah Arman, told Prothom Alo on Saturday night that their candidate, Mufti Rashid bin Wakkas, will contest under the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.

Two leaders have dissolved their own parties and joined the BNP to secure candidacy in the election. One is Shahadat Hossain Selim, chairman of Bangladesh LDP, and the other is Syed Ehsanul Huda, Chairman of the Bangladesh National Party.

Both were top leaders of the 12-party alliance that partnered in the simultaneous movement. Shahadat Hossain Salim has been declared the Sheaf of Paddy candidate for Lakshmipur–1 (Ramganj), while Syed Ehsanul Huda has been declared the Sheaf of Paddy candidate for Kishoreganj–5 (Bajitpur and Nikli).

In addition, Bobby Hajjaj, chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), has also joined the BNP. He will contest from Dhaka–13 (Mohammadpur, Adabar) under the Sheaf of Paddy symbol. Bangladesh LDP, Bangladesh National Party and NDM are not registered parties.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday night, Bobby Hajjaj said, “An election is a war. To win this war, we must all work strategically. We believe that the last-minute changes to the RPO (Representation of the People Order) were part of a conspiracy.

Our party is not registered, and many parties in the alliance have symbols that are not widely recognised. There will also be no posters in this election campaign.

In such circumstances, it is in the interest of all alliance partners to contest under the Sheaf of Paddy, so that we can gain greater advantage in both chambers of Parliament.”

Due to uncertainty over electoral success when contesting under their own symbols, many leaders of BNP’s allied parties have decided to run under the Sheaf of Paddy symbol.

Party sources say that this decision stems from the reality that they are unable to build a strong position in the electoral field on their own. Local-level electoral calculations and organisational weaknesses have also influenced the decision.

Some allied leaders fear that contesting under their own symbols could benefit their opponents. As a result, they regard the Sheaf of Paddy as the safer option.

The BNP’s central leadership, taking these realities into account, is also encouraging its allies in this regard and these efforts are still ongoing. Many believe that this strategy will boost candidates’ confidence at the grassroots level.

However, BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told Prothom Alo on Saturday, “To govern the country in the future, we need young and talented politicians. That is why we are embracing the ideas of youth, those who contributed to the recent movements. Many of them have been brought into the BNP.”

Earlier, the BNP announced Mustafa Jamal Haider, chief of the 12-party alliance and chairman of the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar), as its candidate for the Pirojpur–1 constituency and Fariduzzaman Farhad, chief of the like-minded Jatiyotabadi Jote (Nationalist Alliance) and chairman of the National People’s Party (NPP) as its candidate for Narail–2.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday night, Fariduzzaman said that he would contest under the Sheaf of Paddy symbol. However, he clarified that his party, the NPP, would not be dissolved.

A responsible source from the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar) told Prothom Alo on Saturday that Mustafa Jamal Haider is not physically fit to contest the election. He has already informed senior BNP leaders of this matter in writing.

In this situation, former district BNP convener Alamgir Hossain has been declared the candidate for Pirojpur–1. In this constituency, Jamaat-e-Islami’s candidate is Masood Sayeedi, the younger son of the late Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, who previously served as chairman of the Zianagar Upazila Parishad.

According to relevant sources, Mustafa Jamal decided not to contest because there is a risk of losing the election in that constituency without the Sheaf of Paddy symbol and at his age it would not appear appropriate to join the BNP. For these reasons, he has chosen not to enter the race.

The secretaries general of two registered parties have joined the BNP. One of them is Redwan Ahmed, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed.

The BNP has declared him as its candidate for the Comilla–7 constituency. Redwan Ahmed had previously been a member of the BNP. Mohammad Rashed Khan, general secretary of the Gono Odhikar Parishad led by Nurul Haque, has also joined the BNP and has been nominated as a candidate for Jhenaidah–4.

Asked why he left the post of LDP secretary general to join the BNP, Redwan Ahmed told Prothom Alo on Saturday night, “We requested 12 seats from the BNP for the LDP.

In reality, apart from Oli Ahmed and myself, the LDP does not have candidates capable of winning. However, Oli Ahmed was not agreeable to two seats.

In fact, he participated in Jamaat-e-Islami programmes after 5 August and reached an understanding behind the scenes. I could not accept this.”

The BNP has made changes to its candidates in several constituencies, notably Chattogram–4 (Sitakunda), Chattogram–10 and Chattogram–11.

In Chattogram–4, the candidate has been changed to Aslam Chowdhury; in Chattogram–10 (Double Mooring, Pahartali, Halishahar and Khulshi), BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has been nominated and in Chattogram–11 (Bandar–Patenga), Sayeed Al Noman, son of the late BNP vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman, has been nominated.

In addition, candidates have been changed in Jessore–1 (Sharsha), Jessore–5 (Monirampur) and Jessore–6 (Keshabpur).

In Jessore–1, former BNP central office secretary Mofiqul Hasan has been replaced by Sharsha upazila BNP general secretary Nuruzzaman Liton; in Jessore–5, Mufti Rashid bin Wakkas, senior joint secretary general of Bangladesh Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam, has been nominated and in Jessore–6, Abul Hossain Azad has been nominated in place of former Chhatra Dal president Kazi Rawnakul Islam.

It is understood that these changes have caused dissatisfaction among local leaders and activists in some constituencies.