BNP candidate announcement: Who will contest in which seat in Dhaka? A detailed analysis

BNP candidate announcement: Who will contest in which seat in Dhaka?

Today, November 3, 2025, Monday. A historic press conference was held at the political office of the BNP Chairperson in Gulshan, the capital. Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has announced the names of potential candidates for 237 parliamentary seats across the country. The list includes party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia (in three seats), Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman (in one seat) and several senior leaders of the Standing Committee. But 7 seats out of 20 seats in Dhaka have been kept vacant—which are reserved for alliance partners. This announcement has created a storm in the country's political circles. Let's find out in detail who will contest in which seats in Dhaka, why some seats are vacant, and what is the political strategy behind it.

BNP candidate list in Dhaka: Seat-wise details

There are a total of 20 parliamentary constituencies in Dhaka Metropolitan City. BNP has announced candidates for 13 of them. The remaining 7 (Dhaka-7, 9, 10, 13, 17, 18 and 20) have been left open for like-minded parties in the alliance. Below are the names of the announced candidates, their backgrounds and a brief introduction to the constituencies:

Seat No.	Seat area	BNP candidate	Candidate's identity and specialty
Dhaka-1	Dohar-Nawabganj	Khandaker Abu Ashfaq	The party has an influential organizational leader; the rural vote bank is strong.
Dhaka-2	Keraniganj	Amanullah Aman	Former MP; former president of Chhatra Dal; popular with workers and farmers.
Dhaka-3	Motijheel-Shahjahanpur	Gayeshwar Chandra Roy	Member of the Standing Committee; hardliner of the movement; support from the business community.
Dhaka-4	Shyampur-Kadamtali	Tanvir Ahmed Robin	Youth leaders; influence in the industrial sector.
Dhaka-5	Jatrabari-Demra	Prophet Muhammad	Central leader of the party; popular among young voters.
Dhaka-6	Khilgaon-Mugda	Ishraq Hossain	He was a candidate for Dhaka South City Mayor; son of Sadek Hossain Khoka; strong in the youth-educated vote.
Dhaka-8	Kotalipara-Jatrabari	Mirza Abbas	Member of the Standing Committee; former minister; known as the 'King' of Old Dhaka.
Dhaka-11	Badda-Bhatara	M.A. Qayyum	Senior party leader; influence in middle-class areas.
Dhaka-12	Tejgaon-Gulshan	Saiful Alam is silent.	Former president of Chhatra Dal; madness among the youth.
Dhaka-14	Mirpur-Kafrul	Sanjida Islam Tuli	Women's party leader; representative of women voters.
Dhaka-15	Mirpur-Shah Ali	Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton	Former Jubo Dal leader; direct fight with Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rahman.
Dhaka-16	Pallavi-Rupnagar	Hamidul Haque	Organizing Secretary; Strong face of North Dhaka.
Dhaka-19	Savar-Ashulia	Mostafizur Rahman	Industrial labor leader.

7 vacant seats: Reserved for alliance?

No names have been announced for Dhaka-7 (Mohammadpur), Dhaka-9 (Pallabi), Dhaka-10 (Mirpur), Dhaka-13 (Mohammadpur-Adabor), Dhaka-17 (Gulshan-Banani), Dhaka-18 (Uttara) and Dhaka-20 (Savar) constituencies. Mirza Fakhrul said, “These will be finalized after discussions with the companions of the simultaneous movement.”

Potential allies: NCP (Nahid Islam Dhaka-11's rumor), Mass Solidarity Movement (Jonayed Saki), Citizen Unity (Mahmudur Rahman Manna) or BJP (Andalib Rahman Partha). In Dhaka-13, the name of NDM Chairman Bobby Hajjaj is being heard.
Strategy: In this, BNP is strengthening the alliance and avoiding internal rebellion.

Why choose this candidate? Political analysis

১. Mix of young vs old: Young people like Ishraq, Nirab, Tuli will attract youth votes. Gayeshwar, Abbas are symbols of experience. 2.Regional balance: Old Dhaka (Abbas), North Dhaka (Milton), Industrial Area (Robin)—strong faces everywhere. 3.Direct fight with Jamaat: Milton vs Shafiqur Rahman in Dhaka-15—A glimpse of the vote battle. 4.Indications of change: Seniors like Rizvi and Nazrul Islam Khan have not been included in the list for electoral coordination.

Context of the upcoming elections

BNP is entering the field with 'sheaves of rice' in the February 2026 elections. Three seats for Khaleda Zia, one for Tariq - a show of symbolic power. Mirza Fakhrul says, "This is the initial list. It may change." BNP's vote bank is strong in Dhaka - full force is being used after 2018.

Advice for voters

Verify: Follow the candidates' Facebook/Ex pages.
Alliance news: It will be clear in December who is coming to fill the vacant seats.
Voting date: Scheduled for the first week of December.

This announcement is not just a list of candidates, but the beginning of a new chapter in Bangladesh's democracy. This time, BNP wants to show 'the power of alliance, not alone'. Who is the candidate from your area? Tell us in the comments!

( Source: BNP press conference, Dhaka Tribune, Prothom Alo, TBS)