Tough Challenge Ahead for BNP

Rafique Muhammad

The Election Commission (EC) has announced a tentative roadmap for elections to the country’s 4,580 Union Parishads (UPs). According to the roadmap, the elections will begin on November 12 and be held in seven phases, ending on May 27 next year. Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah announced the tentative roadmap on September 14. Elections to municipalities, upazila parishads, zila parishads and city corporations will be held subsequently.

Political analysts believe the upcoming local government elections will pose a major challenge for the ruling BNP. According to them, Jamaat-e-Islami has been working on the ground for some time and has reportedly finalized potential candidates in many areas. The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by young people after the 2024 mass uprising, has also announced candidates in several areas, while the BNP has yet to announce its supported candidates.

Experts say selecting a single BNP-backed candidate in each constituency will be the party’s biggest challenge. Although the elections will not be held under party symbols, parties are expected to support candidates indirectly. In almost every Union Parishad, seven to 15 BNP aspirants are reportedly seeking the party’s support. Many have already begun campaigning and public outreach.

Resolving internal conflicts and bringing the other aspirants behind a single candidate will therefore be a major organisational challenge for the BNP. The party is also facing criticism over fuel and power shortages, law and order, fertiliser shortages and rising commodity prices. Opposition parties, including Jamaat and the NCP, have been active on these issues both in parliament and on the streets.

Political analyst Professor Dr Dilara Chowdhury said the BNP would face a tough challenge in the upcoming local government elections.

“Before confronting rival political parties in the electoral field, managing candidates from within its own ranks will be the BNP’s biggest challenge,” she said, adding that the fuel and power crisis, law-and-order situation, rising commodity prices and extortion could also negatively affect BNP-backed candidates.

Jamaat, NCP Ahead in Preparations

Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP have already stepped up preparations for the local government elections. Although there will be no party symbols or formal party nominations, the parties are selecting and announcing candidates they support.

Jamaat has reportedly finalised potential mayoral candidates for 12 city corporations. Among the names that have emerged are DUCSU Vice President Sadik Kayem for Dhaka South, Dhaka North metropolitan Ameer Selim Uddin for Dhaka North, Shamsuzzaman Helali for Chattogram, Hafizur Rahman for Gazipur, Abdul Jabbar for Narayanganj and ATM Azam Khan for Rangpur.

Jamaat’s women activists are also conducting campaign activities across the country.

The NCP has also decided to contest the local government elections independently, although it contested the national election in alliance with Jamaat. The party has announced Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary as its supported candidate for Dhaka South and spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan for Dhaka North. It has also announced more than 100 supported candidates for mayoral and upazila chairman posts across the country.

The BNP has yet to announce any supported candidates. However, several BNP leaders are reportedly campaigning for local government posts without formal party approval. In Dhaka, various names are also being discussed for the two city corporations.

Analysts say BNP leaders Mirza Abbas and Ishraque Hossain, son of late mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and a current state minister, have considerable influence in Dhaka South. They say the BNP will have to consider these factors while selecting its candidate there.

In Dhaka North, current administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan contested the Dhaka-15 parliamentary seat in the last national election and was defeated. Various allegations of irregularities have also been raised against him.

Across the country, several BNP leaders have reportedly started campaigning as BNP-supported candidates by putting up posters, banners and billboards without formal party approval.

Political analysts believe the elections will test the BNP’s popularity and organisational strength at the grassroots level after the national election. With multiple aspirants seeking the party’s support in many areas, resolving internal disputes and controlling rebel candidates could become a major challenge.

BNP Says Preparations Underway

Several BNP leaders said the party has begun organising at the grassroots level and selecting qualified and popular candidates. Since the elections will not be held under party symbols, the party is considering fielding independent candidates with clean images, they said.

BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has emphasised selecting single candidates through consensus during meetings with district and metropolitan leaders, according to party leaders. He has also instructed activists to work collectively for the party-supported candidate.

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the local government elections would be non-partisan and that there would be no question of party nominations.

“Therefore, the BNP will not nominate any candidate. However, the grassroots have been instructed to collectively vote for and ensure the victory of whoever is locally acceptable and popular,” he said.

Jamaat Secretary General Professor Mia Golam Parwar said, “We have organisational preparations for the local government elections. The process of selecting candidates for Union Parishads, upazilas, zila parishads and city corporations is at the final stage. Candidates have also been selected for the two Dhaka city corporations. Selim Uddin will contest in the North and Sadik Kayem in the South.”

“We have taken the local government elections very seriously. We hope to reap the benefits of our preparations,” he added.

NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar said, “We have attached great importance to the local government elections. We have decided to field candidates independently across the country. Through these elections, we want to utilise the opportunity to organise our party at the grassroots level.”