Bangladesh is holding its 12th general election amidst concerns about low voter turnout. However, 31 constituencies of Dhaka division among 70 are likely to see strong competition in the race for parliament.
Dhaka district
Dhaka-1 constituency consists of Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas.
Salman F Rahman, the current member of parliament and prime minister’s private industry and investment adviser, is contesting the polls from the seat as the candidate of the Awami League. His main rival is Salma Islam, who won the same seat from the Jatiya Party in the 2014 national parliamentary polls.
Besides, there are five more candidates including one from the Trinamool BNP.
However, the main contest will be between Boat and Plough.
In Dhaka-4, lawmaker Sanjida Khanom is the Awami League candidate, and her main rival is Abu Hossain Babla, who won the election from the Jatiya Party in 2014 and 2018.
Besides, Md Awlad Hossain, former assistant private secretary of Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, is an independent candidate here.
So there will be a three-way contest where the total number of candidates here is 11.
In Dhaka-18, there is no Awami League candidate as the ruling party has given it up for the Jatiya Party.
Sharifa Quader, wife of JaPa chairman GM Quader, is the candidate from the Jatiya Party for the first time.
Dhaka North Awami League Secretary of Industry and Commerce Md Khosru Chowdhury has appeared as a strong candidate contesting the polls as an independent candidate.
Apart from this, six other parties including the Trinamool BNP and BNF are contesting the polls for this seat.
In Dhaka-19, former MP Talukdar Mohammad Towhid Jung Murad is an independent candidate against State Minister for Disaster and Relief Enamur Rahman, the Awami League candidate.
Gazipur
In Gazipur-1, General Secretary of Kaliakoir Upazila Awami League Rezaul Karim has become an independent candidate for the seat, where Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque is contesting as the Awami League candidate.
In Gazipur-2, Awami League leader Kazi Alim Uddin and Jubo League leader Saiful Islam are in the election race as independent candidates, while Zahid Ahsan Russel, state minister for youth and sports, is contesting as the Awami League candidate.
In Gazipur-3, Rumana Ali, the daughter of two-time former MP and minister Md Rahmat Ali, is now a candidate for Boat.
Former MP district Awami League General Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Hossain Sabuj is a strong contender as an independent candidate.
Narayanganj
In Narayanganj-1, Golam Dastgir Gazi is contesting the polls as the Awami League candidate. His rival candidate is Trinamool BNP General Secretary Taimur Alam Khandkar. Shahjan Bhuiyan who is an independent candidate has also appeared as a strong contender.
Former student leader Nazrul Islam Babu, a three-time former MP, is the Awami League candidate for Narayanganj-2. Another former student leader Alamgir Shikder Loton is an independent candidate. Loton's father was once a member of parliament for this constituency. Besides, former BNP leader KM Abu Hanif Hriday is running for parliament from the Trinamool BNP.
In Narayanganj-3, the Awami League candidate is Kaiser Hasnat. His closest rival candidate is Liaquat Hossain Khoka, who won the last two polls from the Jatiya Party.
In this seat, the total number of candidates is nine including those from Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and BNM.
Narayanganj-4 constituency consists of Fatulla and Siddhirganj upazilas. The Awami League's candidate for this seat is sitting MP AKM Shamim Osman.
The Jatiya Party candidate withdrew his nomination just before the polls. Advocate Ali Hossain is contesting as a candidate from the Trinamool BNP here.
Narayanganj-5 constituency consists of Narayanganj Sadar upazila and Bandar upazila. The Awami League is not fielding any candidate for this seat. Salim Osman is the candidate of the Jatiya Party. The fight here will mainly be between the Jatiya Party and the Trinamool BNP.
Narsingdi
For the fourth time in Narsingdi-1, Awami League candidate Nazrul Islam Hero, who has previously won three times. His strong rival is Kamruzzaman Kamrul, an independent candidate and former mayor of Narsingdi municipality. Kamrul's elder brother, the late Lokman Hossain, was also popular as mayor of the municipality. Kamrul is currently the joint general secretary of the district Awami League and the president of the city Awami League.
Awami League candidate for Narsingdi-4 (Belabo-Monohardi) is Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun.
Saiful Islam Khan, five-time chairman of Monohardi upazila parishad, is an independent candidate for this seat.
Faridpur
The Awami League has strong support in Faridpur-1. After 2014, two-time MP Abdur Rahman has again become a candidate for Boat. This time Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar has become the candidate of the BNM. Awami League leader Arifur Rahman Dolan is also an independent candidate here. But the real fight is expected to be between Abdur Rahman and Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar.
In Faridpur-2, the late Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury’s son sitting MP Shahdab Akbar Chowdhury Labu is in the field as the candidate for the Awami League.
An independent candidate for this constituency is Advocate Jamal Hossain Miah, district Awami League secretary of industries and commerce and also executive director of Bashundhara Group.
Awami League candidate Shamim Haque's rival in Faridpur-3 is former president of FBCCI AK Azad.
Shamim Haque is the president of Faridpur Awami League and AK Azad is a member of the advisory committee of the district Awami League.
Jubo League presidium member Mojibur Rahman Chowdhury (Nixon) has been elected twice as an independent candidate in Faridpur-4. Both times he defeated Awami League presidium member Kazi Zafarullah. Zafarullah will face the challenge again this time.
Madaripur
MP for reserved women's seat and President of Kalkini Upazila Awami League Tahmina Begum has appeared as a strong candidate against current MP Abdus Sobhan Mia, who is contesting as the Awami League candidate.
Manikganj
The Awami League left Manikganj-1 for the Jatiya Party's Zahirul Alam Rubel. The strongest independent candidate here is the former organizing secretary of Jubo League Salahuddin Mahmud Zahid.
Since Salahuddin Mahmud's popularity is high in this area, he is likely to give the Jatiya Party candidate a tough fight.
Singer Momtaz Begum, president of Singair Upazila Awami League, is going to contest the polls from Manikganj-2 for the third consecutive time where she has to compete with two independent candidates–Dewan Sofiul Arefin Tutul and Dewan Zahid Ahmed Tulu.
Tangail
Awami League's influential leader and Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque is contesting the polls from Tangail-1. His opponent, former MP from the BNP Khandaker Anwarul Haque, is in the election race as an independent candidate.
In Tangail-2, MP Tanvir Hasan (Choto Monir) is now a candidate for Boat. Upazila Awami League member and three-time elected chairman of Upazila Parishad Yunus Islam Talukdar Thandu will give him tough competition.
In Tangail-3, Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan is contesting the election as a new candidate of the Awami League. Awami League leader Amanur Rahman Khan Rana is an independent candidate. There will be intense competition between the two.
Awami League candidate for Tangail-4 is Md Mozaherul Islam Talukder. Former Awami League minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui is an independent in this seat.
Mamunur Rashid is the candidate for Boat in Tangail-5. Khandkar Ahsan Habib, a former member of the BNP's executive committee, is an independent candidate.
Awami League candidate for Tangail-6 is Ahsanul Islam Titu. Upazila BNP member Khandkar Wahid Murad is running as his opponent as an independent.
The Awami League has a strong position in Tangail-7 as it has held the seat since 2001.
The current MP, Khan Ahmed Shuvo, is the candidate from Awami League.
Independent candidate Mir Enayet Hossain Montu is also a strong candidate here.
In Tangail-8 there is Krishak Sramik Janata League’s Abdul Kader Siddique, while Boat has Anupam Shahjahan Joy. Voter turnout is likely to be high in this seat.
Kishoreganj
Kishoreganj-2 Awami League candidate Abdul Kahar Akand will have a three-way fight with two independent candidates–Major Akhtaruzzaman and Sohrab Hossain.
Shariatpur
Jubo League Presidium Member Khaled Shawkat Ali, who is contesting the polls as an independent candidate, is the rival of Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, the candidate for the Awami League, in Shariatpur-2.
Shawkat Ali is the son of former deputy speaker Shawkat Ali.
Our reporter Shamima Rita and district correspondents Ariful Islam Sabbir, Rashedul Hasan Kajal, Abdullah Al Numan, and Raihanul Islam Akand contributed to this report.
