82 nomination seekers in 4 Bagerhat constituencies

As many as 82 candidates are seeking nominations from various parties to contest the upcoming general election from the four constituencies of Bagerhat.

The ruling Awami League and BNP have 36 aspirants each, although the four constituencies are currently dominated by the ruling party following the BNP boycott of the most recent polls in 2014.

Of the remaining ten candidates, four are seeking the nomination from Jatiya Party and four from Islami Shashontontro Andolon, while two Jamaat-e-Islami leaders are reportedly planning to contest the seat as independent candidates.

Political observers have blamed internal conflicts for this huge number of nomination seekers.

Awami League, seeking a third consecutive term in office, has warned that renegade candidates will be expelled from the party for life.

On the other hand, the BNP is desperate to make a comeback and the party’s participation in the December 30 election - if confirmed - will make it challenging for the Awami League to retain the Bagerhat seats. 

But this election will also be a tough fight for the BNP. It is unclear to what extent the party will be successful in the next election without its top leaders, after a decade out of Parliament.

With its chairperson Khaleda Zia in jail serving sentences in two corruption cases, it will be the first election since 1991 that BNP will contest without the former prime minister’s leadership. 

Her son and heir-apparent, Tarique Rahman, has been convicted in several cases and has been staying in London since 2008.

Bagerhat voters and political activists say they want the parties to pick candidates who have “kept in touch with locals”.

List of prominent Awami League and BNP candidates