20 BNM, Trinamool BNP candidates found capable of fighting in JS polls

Despite initially announcing their intention to field candidates in all 300 seats in the upcoming elections, both the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM) and Trinamool BNP have fallen short of securing the necessary number of candidates. 

At the last minute of filing nominations, merely 20 BNM, Trinamool BNP candidates were found capable of fighting in the upcoming JS polls.

BNM claims to have sold around 350 nomination forms, while Trinamool BNP says it has sold 491. However, both parties will announce their final lists of nominees today, party leaders say. 

BNM maintains that it has 50 candidates ready to fight in the polls, while Trinamool BNP emphasises that it is not seeking "heavyweight" candidates and is confident of forming a strong opposition party if the elections are fair. The party hopes to win around 100 seats.

BNM attracts former MPs

Former MP Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar left BNP on 20 November and assumed leadership of BNM. The party subsequently announced him as the acting chairman of its new executive committee. 

According to BNM, around 12 former MPs have joined their ranks, and several party leaders believe that as many as 15 of these individuals possess the ability to win their respective constituencies.

Furthermore, BNM has welcomed three former BNP MPs, along with Jatiya Party's former MP Zafar Iqbal Siddiqui, Bangladesh Supreme Court's former justice Mir Hasmat Ali, former Navy Commander Sajedul Karim, and 11 others. The party has consistently maintained that 30 to 35 more former MPs will join their ranks.

Trinamool BNP faces candidate shortage

In contrast to BNM's relative success in attracting former MPs, Trinamool BNP has struggled to bring in influential candidates. The party's chairman is BNP's former vice chairman Samsher Mobin Chowdhury, while its secretary general is BNP chairperson's former advisor Taimur Alam Khandkar. 

Apart from this, the party has nominated two members of the Jatiya Party, one from the Awami League, and one from the Liberal Democratic Party. However, it has failed to attract any well-known politicians thus far.

Several senior Trinamool BNP leaders believe that only 5 or 6 of these candidates have a realistic chance of winning against candidates from other parties. 

A senior Trinamool BNP leader, speaking anonymously, expressed concern that many people joining the party have a good image but lack the ability to win elections.

Despite its candidate shortage, Trinamool BNP Secretary General Taimur Alam Khandkar asserted that the party is the second-largest in Bangladesh and can form a strong opposition if the elections are fair. 

He warned that if the elections are not fair, public outrage will ensue, and the Election Commission will lose its credibility.

What's the situation of both parties' offices?

A visit to the BNM and Trinamool BNP offices on Sunday revealed different atmospheres and activities at the two parties' headquarters.

The BNM office, located near the Gulshan-2 roundabout, occupies a modest space of about 2,500 square feet. Inside, the office secretary sells nomination forms and accepts submissions. A handful of individuals, perhaps four or five, are seen filling out their forms. The atmosphere here is far from the bustling energy one might expect from a political office during an election season.

In stark contrast, the Trinamool BNP office in Dhaka's Paltan area is abuzz with activity. Nomination seekers from across the country throng the office's premises, both inside and out. Aspiring candidates from various districts who have submitted nomination forms are seen engaged in interviews with party high-ups.

Conversations with at least 25 candidates who have submitted nominations from both parties reveal a common sentiment: most of them are driven by a desire to join polls rather than securing a victory.

However, a few candidates express confidence in their chances of winning if the elections are conducted fairly.

Md Kamrul Hasan Masud, a BNM candidate from the Rajshahi-2 constituency, said "The people of this country have witnessed the rule of both BNP and Awami League. They yearn for change, and we are seizing this opportunity."

Jahanur Rahman Saudagar, a Munshiganj-2 aspirant from Trinamool BNP, echoes this sentiment: "I want to work with those who are truly engaged with the people. My goal is to go to parliament and bring about a change in the election law under the party government.