Denied BNP nomination triggers highway blockade in Sitakunda

Supporters of Aslam Chowdhury, a senior BNP leader denied nomination for the Chittagong-4 (Sitakunda) constituency, blocked sections of the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway on Monday evening, November 3, setting tyres ablaze and halting traffic for hours in protest of the party’s decision.

The demonstrations erupted soon after the BNP officially announced its list of candidates for 237 constituencies in the upcoming 13th National Parliament election, leaving Chowdhury off the ticket. The nomination for Chittagong-4 was instead given to another contender, as confirmed by BNP Joint Secretary General Kazi Salahuddin during a press briefing earlier in the day.

Protesters, mostly local BNP activists loyal to Aslam Chowdhury, gathered at multiple points along a 10-kilometre stretch of the highway, chanting slogans and demanding the withdrawal of what they called a “politically motivated” nomination. Traffic on one of the country’s busiest transport corridors came to a standstill for several hours, causing widespread disruption.

Helal Uddin Babar, Member Secretary of the Upazila Volunteer Party and a supporter of Chowdhury, accused a faction within the BNP of undermining grassroots leadership. “There is no alternative to Aslam Chowdhury in BNP politics in Sitakunda,” he said, calling the nomination decision “a glaring injustice” and warning that the protests would continue until the decision is reversed.

Party sources said Aslam Chowdhury, a controversial yet influential BNP figure, had spent nine years in jail during what his supporters described as the “fascist regime” of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. His followers claim his loyalty to BNP founder Shaheed Ziaur Rahman’s ideals earned him a strong base in Sitakunda, making his exclusion from the candidate list a “betrayal” of local activists.

Responding to the unrest, Upazila BNP Member Secretary Kazi Mohiuddin defended the central leadership’s authority. “It is entirely the party’s prerogative to decide whom to nominate. Those staging protests are acting against party discipline,” he said.

Sitakunda Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mojibur Rahman confirmed the demonstrations, saying, “There has been traffic congestion due to the protests. Police are deployed on-site, and the situation is under control.”

The incident underscores growing internal rifts within the BNP as the party finalizes its candidates ahead of the election. Similar grievances have reportedly surfaced in several districts, with local factions expressing anger over the central nomination process, signaling potential challenges for the opposition party as it heads into the polls.