Charmonai family defeated in polls

Three of the six brothers of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) Ameer Syed Rezaul Karim contested four constituencies as IAB candidates in the 13th parliamentary election but were defeated.
Running under the “Hat Pakha” symbol, IAB contested the election independently in 268 constituencies with 253 candidates.
The party secured its first notable parliamentary success with a single victory in Barguna-1, where its candidate, Oli Ullah, won the seat.
Three brothers of Syed Rezaul Karim, also known as the Charmonai Pir—Syed Ishaq Muhammad Abul Khayer, Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, and Syed Mosaddeq Billah Al Madani—received party nominations to contest the polls. 
Abul Khayer, assistant secretary general of IAB and executive chairman of the Bangladesh Quran Education Board, secured 36,753 votes in Barishal-4, where BNP candidate Rajib Ahsan won with 128,322 votes.
Abul Khayer acknowledged the result in a social media post and said the outcome did not meet expectations but reflected sincere effort.
IAB Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim contested Barishal-5 and Barishal-6 but lost, receiving 93,528 and 28,823 votes, respectively, to BNP candidates Mujibur Rahman Sarwar with 131,431 votes and Abul Hossain Khan with 81,087 votes.
Faizul Karim also thanked supporters on social media and expressed gratitude for the votes he received.

Maulana Syed Mosaddeq Billah, known as Al Madani and a presidium member of IAB, contested Dhaka-4 and got 6,518 votes, causing him to lose his deposit. Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Syed Zainul Abedin won the seat. 
The Charmonai family reportedly has long influenced IAB’s decisions, leadership, and local government affairs.
Syed Rezaul Karim was the two-term chairman of Charmonai Union Parishad from 2003 to 2011. His brother Syed Ishaq Muhammad Abul Khayer succeeded him for two terms, and the post is currently held by another brother, Syed Muhammad Ziaul Karim.
Rafiqul Alam, organiser of the civil society platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), said the Charmonai Darbar commands influence in its locality but faces different dynamics in national polls. He identified three key factors: Islami Andolan’s limited vote bank, strong competition from BNP and Jamaat, and weak political and emotional connections with young and urban voters.