Tuesday, 30 December, 2025
After seven years away from the ballot, hundreds of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders sought the party’s iconic “sheaf of paddy” symbol—only to be denied. Now, in open defiance of the high command, just under 200 have submitted nomination papers to contest against BNP-endorsed candidates in the pivotal February 12 general election.
An analysis of filings from 63 districts outside Dhaka shows that approximately 179 BNP leaders have registered in 118 constituencies, either as independents or as rivals to officially sanctioned candidates.
The list includes several former MPs alongside district and Upazila-level office bearers. Many filed their papers on Monday, the final day for submissions, disregarding repeated warnings from the party leadership.
The party is preparing to return to parliament for the first time since the 2018 general election, which it has long denounced as “the night vote”. It boycotted the 12th parliamentary poll two years ago.
With the Awami League now out of power after last year’s uprising, and barred from contesting this election, many BNP figures saw 2025 as a rare opening to reclaim ground.
When they were denied tickets, they took their fight to the ballot box instead – and in some cases to the streets.
BNP nominated its candidates in two phases nationwide. Many “rejected” aspirants still collected nomination papers in the hope the party would reconsider at the last minute.
Not all eventually filed – but nearly 200 did, gambling that BNP might yet revise its list or that they can run as outright rebels.
In all, 2,582 nomination papers have been submitted for the 300 seats.
Since the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5 last year, BNP leaders in many constituencies have been campaigning informally, expecting nomination.
Once the party began announcing its choices in two phases nationwide, snubbed aspirants and their supporters erupted in protest.
There were demonstrations, road and rail blockades, torch processions and, in some areas, violent clashes, as they demanded that candidates be replaced.
Across the country, large numbers of leaders collected nomination forms in the hope that the list would be revised. Not all of them ultimately filed. Those who did still believe there is time for the party to reconsider and replace incumbents with them.
BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi had earlier warned that the party would take a hard line against anyone who chose to stand against the official nominees or against allies under seat-sharing deals.
A senior BNP leader, speaking on Monday night, said the party would not tolerate open revolt but would wait for the scrutiny process to end before acting.
“The secretary general has already published the list of candidates as decided by the policy-making forum. They are the BNP nominees,” he said.
“If anyone has filed as a candidate outside that decision, the party will certainly take appropriate action. But we will wait until the scrutiny is complete.”
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After seven years away from the ballot, hundreds of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders sought the party’s iconic “sheaf of paddy” symbol—only to be denied. Now, in open defiance of the high command, just under 200 have submitted nomination papers to contest against BNP-endorsed candidates in the pivotal February 12 general election.
An analysis of filings from 63 districts outside Dhaka shows that approximately 179 BNP leaders have registered in 118 constituencies, either as independents or as rivals to officially sanctioned candidates.
The list includes several former MPs alongside district and Upazila-level office bearers. Many filed their papers on Monday, the final day for submissions, disregarding repeated warnings from the party leadership.
The party is preparing to return to parliament for the first time since the 2018 general election, which it has long denounced as “the night vote”. It boycotted the 12th parliamentary poll two years ago.
With the Awami League now out of power after last year’s uprising, and barred from contesting this election, many BNP figures saw 2025 as a rare opening to reclaim ground.
When they were denied tickets, they took their fight to the ballot box instead – and in some cases to the streets.
BNP nominated its candidates in two phases nationwide. Many “rejected” aspirants still collected nomination papers in the hope the party would reconsider at the last minute.
Not all eventually filed – but nearly 200 did, gambling that BNP might yet revise its list or that they can run as outright rebels.
In all, 2,582 nomination papers have been submitted for the 300 seats.
Since the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5 last year, BNP leaders in many constituencies have been campaigning informally, expecting nomination.
Once the party began announcing its choices in two phases nationwide, snubbed aspirants and their supporters erupted in protest.
There were demonstrations, road and rail blockades, torch processions and, in some areas, violent clashes, as they demanded that candidates be replaced.
Across the country, large numbers of leaders collected nomination forms in the hope that the list would be revised. Not all of them ultimately filed. Those who did still believe there is time for the party to reconsider and replace incumbents with them.
BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi had earlier warned that the party would take a hard line against anyone who chose to stand against the official nominees or against allies under seat-sharing deals.
A senior BNP leader, speaking on Monday night, said the party would not tolerate open revolt but would wait for the scrutiny process to end before acting.
“The secretary general has already published the list of candidates as decided by the policy-making forum. They are the BNP nominees,” he said.
“If anyone has filed as a candidate outside that decision, the party will certainly take appropriate action. But we will wait until the scrutiny is complete.”
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