DHAKA — The BNP has announced preliminary candidates for 237 seats ahead of the upcoming 13th parliamentary election. The absence of names of longtime allies who joined the party in concurrent movements suggests the remaining 63 seats have been kept open for the coalition and its partners.
BNP senior leaders said all 63 seats will not be left to the alliance; some are unresolved because multiple strong candidates have laid claim to them. But the partners will get the maximum consideration when seats are shared, the leaders said.
Meanwhile, under the amended Representation of the People Order, the BNP’s concurrent-movement partners will not be allowed to use the party’s sheaf-of-paddy symbol this time and must contest under their own party symbols.
In that situation, most partners outside four or five top leaders lack any individual or party-level vote bank, which could reduce their chances of winning. As a result, other BNP figures may find an opening in the unresolved seats, sources said.
According to BNP sources, more than 50 parties were part of the concurrent anti-fascism movement. After vetting candidates’ standing and popularity in their constituencies, 25 to 30 seats may be left to them. About 10 more seats could be left if an alliance is reached with the new National Citizen Party (NCP).
“The parties that stood with us in the movement will be given maximum consideration. Discussions are under way on where each will contest, and a decision will be communicated soon,” a leader said on seat-sharing with allies.
The BNP has not yet made a final decision on how many seats to leave to the alliance, but the BNP’s movement partners may receive 25 to 30 seats, sources said.
Separately, the BNP had asked the six top leaders of the Ganatantra Mancha forum where each intended to contest. The forum later sent the BNP detailed information on the candidacies of those leaders.
Party sources said 12 leaders from the concurrent movement have already been told to begin work in their constituencies. They include Jatiya Party (Zafar) chairman Mostafa Jamal Haidar in Pirojpur-1, Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna in Bogura-2, and BJP chairman Andaleeb Rahman Partha in Dhaka-17.
Also on the list: Bangladesh LDP chairman Shahadat Hossain Selim in Lakshmipur-1; Bangladesh National Party chairman Syed Ehsanul Huda in Kishoreganj-5; NDM chairman Bobby Hajjaj in Dhaka-13; Ganasamhati Andolan chief coordinator Junayed Saki in Brahmanbaria-6; Prof. Omar Faruk, son of LDP chairman Col. (retd.) Oli Ahmad, in Chattogram-14; LDP secretary general Dr. Redwan Ahmed in Cumilla-7; NPP chairman Dr. Fariduzzaman Farhad, coordinator of the Jatiyatabadi Sammana Jote, in Narail-2; Gano Adhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur in Patuakhali-3; and party secretary general Rashed Khan in Jhenaidah-2.
If an alliance is formed with the NCP, the BNP could leave around 10 seats to it. NCP sources said convenor Nahid Islam may contest from Dhaka-11, member secretary Akhtar Hossain from Rangpur-4, northern chief organizer Sarjis Alam from Panchagarh-1, southern coordinator Hasnat Abdullah from Cumilla-4, Nasiruddin Patwary from Dhaka-18, Tasnim Jara from Dhaka-9, Sarwar Tushar from Narsingdi-2, Hannan Masud from Noakhali-6 and Adibul Islam Adib from Dhaka-14.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report