Most BNP picks ran before

For the December 30 election, the BNP will be banking on party nominees of 2001 and 2008 parliamentary polls.

Over the last few days, the BNP nomination board has finished interviewing potential candidates and finalised around 250 runners, leaving the rest of the seats aside for alliance partners.

Most of the aspirants are either ex-lawmakers, ministers or had run for parliament in previous elections, according to a list of 200 The Daily Star has obtained.

Former candidates who had even been expelled from the party or had been side-lined for being “reformists” or other reasons made the list.

Only 50 of the picks are new faces. However, many of them are family members of former lawmakers or candidates who have passed away.

Leaders like Sardar Shakhawat Hossain of Narsingdi, Maj (retd) Akhtaruzzaman of Kishoreganj, Ataur Rahman Angur of Narsingdi, Mofiqul Hasan Tripti of Jashore, and Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed of Bhola, who had been side-lined for being “reformists”, are on the list of BNP picks.     

Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddique, who had been expelled but returned to the party recently, would get the ticket for Gazipur-1. Shah Reazul Hannan, son of former minister and top BNP leader ASM Hannan Shah who died, is likely to get the BNP ticket for Gazipur-4.

Executed war criminal Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury was a key figure in Chattogram, which has 16 constituencies. The BNP leader used to run from two constituencies. His wife Farhat Quader Chowdhury is likely to run from Chattogram-7 and the nomination for Chottogram-2 might be given to a Quader family member.

Former minister MK Anwar, who was from Cumilla, died in 2017 and his son Mahmud Anwar Kaizer is likely to get the party nomination. Kaizer, however, did not collect the BNP nomination form.

In Sylhet-2, BNP's organising secretary M Ilyas Ali was once the lawmaker. He has been missing since 2012 and his wife Tahsina Rashdir Luna is likely to get the party ticket.

New faces are likely to get nominations in Sylhet-1 and -6. The party might nominate Abul Kahhar Shamim in Sylhet-6 but it is yet to decide who to nominate for Sylhet-1.

Convicted former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar's wife Tahmina Zaman is likely to get the nomination for Netrakona-4.

BNP's alliance Jatiya Oikyafront leader Sultan Monsur might get the nomination for Moulvibazar-2 while Gonoforum leader Reza Kibria, son of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, is likely to get the party ticket in Habiganj-1.

In Faridpur, former minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf told party high-ups that he did not want to run and would rather have his daughter nominated.

BNP high-ups, however, told Kamal that if he did not run, Shahjada Mia would be nominated.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Oli Ahmed is likely to get the nomination for Chattogram-14 and the ticket for Chattogram-15 might go to BNP's key ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's candidate.

Feni and Noakhali are considered BNP strongholds. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia used to run from Feni-1 but there is an apprehension she may not be able to run this time for being convicted.

The nominee for this constituency has not been finalised.

In the six seats of Noakhali, all the potential nominees have run before with BNP tickets.  

The BNP has to set aside two of the four seats in Laxmipur for alliance partners. In Laxmipur-1, LDP Joint Secretary General Shahadat Hossain Selim and in Laxmipur-4, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rab are likely to get nominations.

Chandpur might see new people running with BNP tickets in all the five constituencies. Former state minister for education Ehsanul Huq Milon, who is from the district, was arrested a few days ago. He might not get party nomination.

The BNP is likely to set aside three of the 11 seats in Cumilla for alliance partners. JSD General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan is likely to get the nomination for Cumilla-4, Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher for Cumilla-11, and Redwan Ahmed of LDP for Cumilla-7.

Of the six seats in Brahmanbaria, Bramanbaria-4 and -6 are likely to go to alliance partners.

Out of the 20 seats in Dhaka, six are likely to be given to Oikyafront leaders. New faces might be running with BNP tickets in Dhaka-1, -5, -6, -10, -12 and -15.

The ticket for Bagerhat-4 is likely to go to Jamaat leader Shahidul Islam and Khulna-6 to Jamaat leader Abul Kalam Azad.

Satkhira-4 nomination is likely to go to Jamaat leader Gazi Nazrul Islam and Cox's Bazar-2 to Jamaat leader Hamidur Rahman Azad.