Dhaka Division: AL, BNP brace for multiple contenders
Apart from a few constituencies like Gopalganj-3 from where Awami League President Sheikh Hasina runs, most seats in the districts of Dhaka division have multiple hopefuls for AL tickets.
The BNP is also likely to face rivalries within the party.
Excluding Dhaka, the division now has 12 districts comprised of 50 constituencies in which around 116 AL leaders and around 108 BNP leaders are trying to get their party's nominations.
The newly formed Mymensingh division, which used to be in Dhaka, has 24 seats in Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Netrakona districts. Around 80 AL and 65 BNP leaders are competing there to for party tickets.
In Gopalganj, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim are likely to contest from Gopalganj-3 and -2 constituencies. Two vital AL leaders Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan and Mukul Bose are prospective candidates of Gopalganj-1.
In Faridpur, at least nine AL and seven BNP candidates are trying to get their party's tickets for four constituencies. Potential AL candidates include Sajeda Chowdhury, Mosharraf Hossain Khandker, and Kazi Zafarullah.
In Madaripur, five AL men and eight BNP men are trying to get nominations in three seats. The AL candidates include Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and AL central leader Bahuddin Nasim.
In Shariatpur, there are at least seven AL men and as many BNP men trying their luck in three constituencies, while two AL and two BNP men are vying for tickets in the 2 seats in Rajbari.
In Kishoreganj, the AL has 14 and BNP 17 leaders fighting for nominations in six constituencies. Former AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, President Abdul Hamid's son Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq and late president Zillur Rahman's son Nazmul Hassan Papon are the heavyweights.
In Tangail, some 24 AL and 17 BNP leaders are trying to get nomination in eight constituencies. Here, the AL potential candidates include former food minister Abdur Razzak and former post and telecommunications minister Abdul Latif Siddique.
In Narsingdi, some 13 AL and nine BNP leaders are trying to get nominations in five constituencies, while at least 12 AL and 11 BNP leaders are competing for nomination in five constituencies of Gazipur.
In Narayanganj, 10 AL, 14 BNP and two JP leaders are running for four constituencies. AL leader Shamim Osman is the sole candidate in Narayanganj-4.
In Manikganj, seven AL and five BNP leaders are competing for nominations in three seats, while nine AL and five BNP leaders are competing for party tickets in the three seats of Munshiganj.
In Mymensingh, at least 33 AL, 25 BNP and 12 JP leaders are competing for nominations in 11 constituencies. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser Afzal H Khan and JP co-chairman Raushan Ershad are the heavyweights.
In Jamalpur, over 15 AL and 13 BNP leaders are in the race for nominations in five constituencies.
In Netrakona, some 20 AL and 18 BNP leaders are campaigning in five constituencies. The prospective candidates in AL include ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar and State Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy while former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar's wife Tahmina Zaman Sraboni is the candidate of BNP.
In Sherpur, around 12 AL and 11 BNP candidates are aspiring for nominations. The candidates include Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury.
Our correspondents Zahangir Shah, Farhana Mirza, Aminul Islam, Sanad Saha, Mirza Shakil, ABM Aminul Islam, Abu Bakar Siddique and Suzit Kumar Das contributed to the story.