Thursday, 06 November, 2025
Tensions are soaring and alliances trembling as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) navigates a perilous road to the polls.
With candidates named in 236 constituencies ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election, one question dominates: is the real battle not on the streets but behind closed doors? Will internal rivalries and mounting pressures fracture the party, or can BNP hold firm and stride toward victory?
These questions have grown urgent as factional clashes over nominations have already turned deadly. At the same time, the party faces the formidable task of negotiating seat allocations with alliance partners and like-minded groups demanding over 200 constituencies. Senior BNP leaders admit that balancing these demands is far trickier than anticipated, with internal frictions and external pressures threatening to test the party’s cohesion like never before.
Daily headlines brim with reports of confrontations over nominations, fuelling speculation that not all are spontaneous. Political observers now ask whether staged or “fictional” clashes are emerging as a deliberate barrier on BNP’s road to the ballot box.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday in Chattagram, when armed assailants attacked BNP candidate Ershad Ullah’s campaign in East Bayezid Hamzarbagh, killing one and injuring two others. Just two days earlier, at least 15 were hurt in another factional clash, followed by the abrupt suspension of Madaripur-1 candidate Kamal Jaman Mollah, hours after his nomination was announced.
BNP leadership acted swiftly, suspending those involved and reaffirming discipline. “Such incidents are not unexpected for a large political party and will have no lasting impact,” said a senior BNP leader, himself not nominated. Quoting him: “Drawing a bucket of water doesn’t empty the ocean. You can drain a pond, not a sea.”
He stressed that BNP’s scale and resilience make such frictions inevitable. “Since the 1990s, BNP has nurtured many seasoned leaders through anti-fascist struggles. It is simply impossible to accommodate everyone.”
Despite internal rifts, most leaders remain confident of a decisive victory, citing the absence of the ruling Awami League. “The people of Bangladesh are not communal and will not vote for any religious party,” another senior BNP leader said.
Analysts urge caution. “Politics is a mirror maze — every reflection shows a different truth,” one observed. “A politician’s face can shift like the moon — bright today, dark tomorrow. Victory hinges on collaboration, not emotion.” They note that the growing Gen-Z electorate demands accountability, innovation, and reform, not slogans from the past.
Grassroots optimism, however, remains high, bolstered by the recent joining of Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, twin brother of July Uprising martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdha, in the virtual presence of Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Workers hailed the candidate list as “strategic, prudent, and timely,” though some voiced frustration that loyalists such as Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel were overlooked.
Analysts have also highlighted a gap: the list includes few policy thinkers or professionals capable of influencing parliamentary governance. Meanwhile, seat-sharing negotiations with alliance partners have emerged as BNP’s toughest test. The party has kept 64 constituencies open for allies but is reportedly willing to share only around 40, including ten for the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Fourteen leaders from like-minded parties have already begun campaigning where BNP has no candidate. Talks are underway with Islamist allies such as Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, who have demanded a dozen constituencies, including Sylhet-5, Nilphamari-1, and Brahmanbaria-2.
Emboldened by the absence of Awami League contenders, partner parties press for larger shares. NCP has demanded 20 seats, though BNP offers only ten. Insiders warn they may reconsider their alliance if key figures — including Nahid Islam (Dhaka-11), Akhtar Hossain (Rangpur-4), and Tasnim Jara (Dhaka-9) — are denied nominations.
Leaders fear that if concessions are made, fresh fictional clashes could erupt among activists competing for the same constituencies, complicating the road to victory. Informal talks are ongoing, but tensions persist. NCP’s announcement to contest all 300 seats has added further uncertainty.
Complicating matters, the amended Representation of the People Order bars coalition partners from contesting under BNP’s Sheaf of Paddy symbol, reducing the appeal of formal alliances. “If partners can’t use our symbol, their chances are weakened,” said a senior BNP official, noting most smaller parties lack strong local support.
To offset this, BNP is exploring alternative partnerships, including promises of ministerial or institutional posts in a future government. The party’s liaison committee, under Tarique Rahman, is monitoring seat-sharing closely. “Keeping 63 seats open demonstrates our commitment to unity,” a committee member said, hinting that adjustments to the candidate list may still follow. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed alliance partners have been asked to submit candidate lists, which will be evaluated on field realities and winnability.
Analysts suggest that confrontations among partners may soon be resolved, largely depending on Tarique Rahman’s timely intervention. “If he steps in directly, solutions will come faster,” one observer said, adding: “A face-to-face conversation builds more trust than a thousand messages.”
In a climate thick with rumours, rivalries, and rising expectations, BNP’s greatest test may not come from its opponents — but from its own ability to maintain cohesion, keeping its vast ocean steady despite a few restless waves.
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Tensions are soaring and alliances trembling as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) navigates a perilous road to the polls.
With candidates named in 236 constituencies ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election, one question dominates: is the real battle not on the streets but behind closed doors? Will internal rivalries and mounting pressures fracture the party, or can BNP hold firm and stride toward victory?
These questions have grown urgent as factional clashes over nominations have already turned deadly. At the same time, the party faces the formidable task of negotiating seat allocations with alliance partners and like-minded groups demanding over 200 constituencies. Senior BNP leaders admit that balancing these demands is far trickier than anticipated, with internal frictions and external pressures threatening to test the party’s cohesion like never before.
Daily headlines brim with reports of confrontations over nominations, fuelling speculation that not all are spontaneous. Political observers now ask whether staged or “fictional” clashes are emerging as a deliberate barrier on BNP’s road to the ballot box.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday in Chattagram, when armed assailants attacked BNP candidate Ershad Ullah’s campaign in East Bayezid Hamzarbagh, killing one and injuring two others. Just two days earlier, at least 15 were hurt in another factional clash, followed by the abrupt suspension of Madaripur-1 candidate Kamal Jaman Mollah, hours after his nomination was announced.
BNP leadership acted swiftly, suspending those involved and reaffirming discipline. “Such incidents are not unexpected for a large political party and will have no lasting impact,” said a senior BNP leader, himself not nominated. Quoting him: “Drawing a bucket of water doesn’t empty the ocean. You can drain a pond, not a sea.”
He stressed that BNP’s scale and resilience make such frictions inevitable. “Since the 1990s, BNP has nurtured many seasoned leaders through anti-fascist struggles. It is simply impossible to accommodate everyone.”
Despite internal rifts, most leaders remain confident of a decisive victory, citing the absence of the ruling Awami League. “The people of Bangladesh are not communal and will not vote for any religious party,” another senior BNP leader said.
Analysts urge caution. “Politics is a mirror maze — every reflection shows a different truth,” one observed. “A politician’s face can shift like the moon — bright today, dark tomorrow. Victory hinges on collaboration, not emotion.” They note that the growing Gen-Z electorate demands accountability, innovation, and reform, not slogans from the past.
Grassroots optimism, however, remains high, bolstered by the recent joining of Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, twin brother of July Uprising martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdha, in the virtual presence of Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. Workers hailed the candidate list as “strategic, prudent, and timely,” though some voiced frustration that loyalists such as Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel were overlooked.
Analysts have also highlighted a gap: the list includes few policy thinkers or professionals capable of influencing parliamentary governance. Meanwhile, seat-sharing negotiations with alliance partners have emerged as BNP’s toughest test. The party has kept 64 constituencies open for allies but is reportedly willing to share only around 40, including ten for the National Citizen Party (NCP).
Fourteen leaders from like-minded parties have already begun campaigning where BNP has no candidate. Talks are underway with Islamist allies such as Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, who have demanded a dozen constituencies, including Sylhet-5, Nilphamari-1, and Brahmanbaria-2.
Emboldened by the absence of Awami League contenders, partner parties press for larger shares. NCP has demanded 20 seats, though BNP offers only ten. Insiders warn they may reconsider their alliance if key figures — including Nahid Islam (Dhaka-11), Akhtar Hossain (Rangpur-4), and Tasnim Jara (Dhaka-9) — are denied nominations.
Leaders fear that if concessions are made, fresh fictional clashes could erupt among activists competing for the same constituencies, complicating the road to victory. Informal talks are ongoing, but tensions persist. NCP’s announcement to contest all 300 seats has added further uncertainty.
Complicating matters, the amended Representation of the People Order bars coalition partners from contesting under BNP’s Sheaf of Paddy symbol, reducing the appeal of formal alliances. “If partners can’t use our symbol, their chances are weakened,” said a senior BNP official, noting most smaller parties lack strong local support.
To offset this, BNP is exploring alternative partnerships, including promises of ministerial or institutional posts in a future government. The party’s liaison committee, under Tarique Rahman, is monitoring seat-sharing closely. “Keeping 63 seats open demonstrates our commitment to unity,” a committee member said, hinting that adjustments to the candidate list may still follow. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed alliance partners have been asked to submit candidate lists, which will be evaluated on field realities and winnability.
Analysts suggest that confrontations among partners may soon be resolved, largely depending on Tarique Rahman’s timely intervention. “If he steps in directly, solutions will come faster,” one observer said, adding: “A face-to-face conversation builds more trust than a thousand messages.”
In a climate thick with rumours, rivalries, and rising expectations, BNP’s greatest test may not come from its opponents — but from its own ability to maintain cohesion, keeping its vast ocean steady despite a few restless waves.
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