BNP seals alliance math: Fakhrul unveils seats for Saki, Manna, Nurul, Bobby and others

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has finalised another phase of seat-sharing with its allied parties, conceding 10 additional parliamentary constituencies as part of a broader electoral understanding ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections scheduled for February 12.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the decisions at a press conference held at the party chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Wednesday afternoon. 

He said the allocations followed “long and detailed discussions” with parties that were partners in the simultaneous movement against the government.

Under the latest arrangement, leaders from the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar faction), National People’s Party (NPP), Islami Oikya Jote, Gana Odhikar Parishad, Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party and Gano Samghati Andolan will contest from agreed constituencies – some under their own party symbols and others under the BNP’s electoral symbol, sheaf of paddy.

According to Mirza Fakhrul, Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna will contest from Bogura-2, Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar) Chairman Mustafa Jamal Haider from Pirojpur-1, NPP Chairman Fariduzzaman Farhad from Narail-2, Islami Oikya Jote leader Mufti Rashid Bin Wakkas from Jashore-5, Gana Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Noor from Patuakhali-3, and its General Secretary Muhammad Rashed Khan from Jhenaidah-4.

Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque has been allotted Dhaka-12, while Gano Samghati Andolan Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki will contest from Brahmanbaria-6.

Mirza Fakhrul also announced that Redwan Ahmed, Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Colonel (retd.) Oli Ahmed, formally joined the BNP at the press conference and has been nominated as the BNP candidate for Cumilla-7. Redwan Ahmed previously served as a lawmaker and a state minister from the same constituency during a BNP-led government.

In addition, National Democratic Movement (NDM) Chairman Bobby Hajjaj will soon join the BNP and contest from Dhaka-13, Mirza Fakhrul said.

He clarified that candidates from unregistered parties, including the NPP, will contest under the BNP symbol, while allies that retain their organisational identity will run under their respective party symbols. He warned that if any BNP leader or activist contests against an agreed ally candidate in the conceded seats, organisational action will be taken.

The BNP secretary general said discussions on seat-sharing are still ongoing and further decisions, if any, will be announced later.

The BNP has so far announced potential candidates in 272 constituencies. The remaining 28 seats are being allocated to allies through political compromise. 

Earlier, four seats – Sylhet-5, Brahmanbaria-2, Nilphamari-1 and Narayanganj-4 – were conceded to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh. With Wednesday’s announcement, the total number of seats shared with allies has increased further.

BNP Standing Committee members Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku were present at the press conference.