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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has extended its influence to different new areas in eastern and central regions, opening fresh pockets, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami looks steady in the areas it targeted in the western regions.
In the picture reflected in the results of the 13th parliamentary election, it is found that apart from retaining its strong bases in Chattogram, Cumilla and Barishal, BNP not only contained its old constituencies in Dhaka and Sylhet but also ensured clean sweep in some new parts of these two divisions, which were grasped by Awami League for long years.
On the other hand, Jamaat crashed Jatiya Party severely in its long standing fortress in Rangpur while gaining most of the constituencies there, and challenged BNP strongly and confirmed its huge success in southwestern division Khulna.
BNP dominates in eastern region
Undoubtedly BNP has a very strong support base in eastern region’s Chattogram, Cumilla and Sylhet but this time the party’s performance was exceptionally well there, thanks to the support it bagged from Awami League sympathisers.
It hardly lost any major seats in these regions.
BNP confirmed all four seats in Cox’s Bazar though Jamaat had a strong position in the district. In Cox’s Bazar-2 constituency, BNP-nominated candidate Alamgir Muhammad Mahfuz Ullah Farid defeated Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad with a big margin.
In Chattogram district, BNP won 14 out of 16 seats, maximum by large margins. Chattogram-15 (Satkania-partly, Lohagara) has always been an area to depend based on the popularity of its veteran leader Shahjahan Chowdhury. He confirmed a huge victory there for “scale”, while BNP’s Mishkatul Islam Chowdhury lost Chattogram-15 (Banshkhali) to Jamaat’s Mohammad Zahirul Islam due to rebel candidate Liakat Ali.
A Chattogram district BNP leader, claiming anonymity, said Awami League supporters voted BNP across the greater Chattogram’s 23 seats to prevent the Jamaat’s rise.
The leader said they campaigned ahead of the polls that the Awami League would be wiped out if Jamaat wins and it prompted Awami League sympathisers to vote for the sheaf of paddy.
On the other hand, BNP won in all constituencies, except one, three in Cumilla and Brahmanbaria. NCP’s Hasnat Abdullah succeeded in Cumilla-4, Jamaat’s Abdullah Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher in Cumilla-11 and BNP rebel Rumeen Farhana elected in Brahmanbaria-2.
Out of the 19 parliamentary seats in the Sylhet Division, the BNP won 18. The remaining seat was won by Mufti Abul Hasan of the Khelafat Majlis.
In the process BNP discovered new horizons in traditional Awami League strong bases like Habiganj, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar, defeating Jamaat and its alliance partner candidates by big margin.
AL supporters help BNP in central region
Apart from securing maximum seats in Barishal, a traditional stronghold for BNP and Awami League, BNP has augmented its support throughout the central region of Dhaka and Mymensingh with the help
Traditional Awami League strongholds like Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Rajbari, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Jamalpur, Tangail and Gazipur.
The party grabbed all three seats of Gopalganj. After more than three decades, a major political shift has taken place in Shariatpur.
BNP candidates won all three parliamentary seats in the district, long considered a stronghold of the Awami League.
It secured victory in two seats out of three in Madaripur, all two in Rajbari, five out of six in Kishoreganj, eight out of 11 in Mymensingh, seven out of eight in Tangail, four out of five in Gazipur and all five in Jamalpur.
BNP confirmed victory of its candidates in 16 among 21 constituencies of Barishal division. Besides, two of its alliance partners won two seats, making the total number for BNP-led alliance 18.
Jamaat crashes Jatiya Party in Rangpur, BNP in Khulna
Jamaat-e-Islami was known for its strength in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Khulna as it performed better in these three divisions in the past accepted polls.
But the party, while emerging as the country’s single most popular Islamic party this election clattered Jatiya Party fortress Rangpur, confirming its lone dominance, except some constituencies of Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Dinajpur.
The Jamaat-led 11-party alliance won 18 out of 33 seats in Rangpur, 11 out of 39 seats in Rajshahi, and 25 out of 36 seats in Khulna.
Across these three divisions, comprising 108 seats in the country’s western region, the alliance contested 100 seats and won 52 on its own.
However, the party’s election management committee stated that their goal had been to win at least 80 seats.
In the process, Jamaat outplayed Jatiya Party, pushing it to the verge of extinction.
In the 1991 election, the Jatiya Party won 18 out of 22 seats in Rangpur, 21 seats in 1996, and 13 seats in 2001. This time, the party could not even secure second place in a single constituency.
Khulna Division was long considered a BNP stronghold. This election, Jamaat won 25 out of 36 seats in the division. However, in Khulna-5, previously won by Jamaat, the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar was defeated.
Jamaat also failed to win in Bagerhat-3, Khulna-3, Khulna-4, Narail-1, Magura-1 and 2, and Kushtia-1. While the party won the remaining seats in these districts, it was defeated in Jashore-3 and Jhenaidah-1.
The party lost in these two constituencies, along with 11 seats in Khulna, due to not getting votes from minority communities.
Good results in Dhaka
For the first time in its history, Jamaat has won seats in Dhaka city. Out of 15 constituencies, the party now has six MPs in the capital. Jamaat lost in Dhaka-7 and Dhaka-17 by fewer than 5,500 votes, and suffered similar narrow defeats in Dhaka-8 and Dhaka-13.
Its leaders allege that bias from certain administrative authorities prevented them from winning these seats.
Surprising many Jamaat bagged Gazipur-4 and Faridpur-1. For the first time, the party also secured three seats out of 38 in Mymensingh Division.