[🇧🇩] Monitoring the political activities of BNP

Saif · 2026-01-12T19:28:56-0500

BNP gears up in Sylhet as Tarique Rahman set to launch election campaign

With banners going up, leaders mobilising at ward level and expectations running high among grassroots activists, Sylhet’s district and city BNP units are leaving no stone unturned ahead of party chairman Tarique Rahman’s visit, where he will kick off the BNP’s election campaign o

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BNP gears up in Sylhet as Tarique Rahman set to launch election campaign

UNB
Published :
Jan 12, 2026 19:56
Updated :
Jan 12, 2026 19:56

With banners going up, leaders mobilising at ward level and expectations running high among grassroots activists, Sylhet’s district and city BNP units are leaving no stone unturned ahead of party chairman Tarique Rahman’s visit, where he will kick off the BNP’s election campaign on January 22.

“On January 22, Tarique Rahman will begin his election campaign from Sylhet, the spiritual city of 360 saints. In the morning, he will first visit the shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA) in the city and then the shrine of Hazrat Shah Paran (RA) at Khadimnagar, about eight kilometres away,” said Sylhet district BNP President Qaiyum Chowdhury.

After that, he said, the BNP chairman will address the first election rally at Alia Madrasa ground around 11:00am.

“We have taken extensive preparations to organise the rally on the occasion of the BNP chairman’s visit to Sylhet. After nearly two decades, Tarique Rahman is coming to Sylhet, and the people of Sylhet are eagerly waiting for his arrival. This will be his first visit to the city as party chairman, and Sylhet residents are keen to welcome him as one of their relatives, (son-in-law),” Qaiyum said.

After the Sylhet rally, Tarique will carry out his election campaign along the Sylhet–Dhaka highway, Qaiyum added, saying he will address one rally in each constituency along the route.

He said the BNP Chairman is expected to hold roadside rallies in districts along the Sylhet–Dhaka highway, including Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Narsingdi and Narayanganj.

The Sylhet BNP President described the visit as highly significant, as it will be Tarique’s first public rally as party chairman, where he will also present BNP’s election commitments before the people.

However, the full schedule of the Sylhet tour has not yet been officially announced by the central BNP. The election steering committee said the media will be informed in due course once the programme is finalised.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists at a greetings exchange programme in the capital on Saturday, Tarique said, “The election is coming. I am a member of a political party. Naturally, from the 22nd, we will present all our plans to the people.”

Contacted, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said Tarique will formally kick off his election campaign from Sylhet on January 22.

“Tarique Rahman will start his electioneering from Sylhet, known as the land of saints. His official campaign will begin through these shrine visits on January 22,” he said.

Since the formation of BNP, party founder Ziaur Rahman started his presidential election campaign from Sylhet, while Begum Khaleda Zia also launched all her election campaigns from Sylhet starting in 1991. Following that tradition, Tarique will begin his campaign through shrine visits, party leaders said.

Sylhet BNP leaders said Tarique Rahman last visited the city in 2005, when he attended a BNP union representatives’ conference as the party’s senior joint secretary general.

After spending 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom, Tarique returned home with his family on December 25. A few days later, on December 30, his mother and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia passed away while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital.

Saif · 2026-01-13T20:31:47-0500

Efforts on against level playing field: BNP

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday alleged that a particular party was deliberately attempting to undermine the level-playing field in the run-up to the Jatiya Sangsad elections, raising the issue during a meeting with the Election Commission.

www.newagebd.net

Efforts on against level playing field: BNP
Staff Correspondent 14 January, 2026, 00:35

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday alleged that a particular party was deliberately attempting to undermine the level-playing field in the run-up to the Jatiya Sangsad elections, raising the issue during a meeting with the Election Commission.

A BNP delegation led by the party’s election steering committee chair Nazrul Islam Khan met the chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at the EC headquarters in the capital.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Nazrul said that while the BNP was complying with the commission directives, other political forces were allegedly acting in a coordinated manner to tilt the contest in their favour.

The BNP, Nazrul said, is making deliberate efforts to uphold a fair electoral environment by strictly following instructions from the Election Commission.

As an example, he noted, party chair Tarique Rahman has postponed a planned personal visit to the northern districts after the commission requested restraint.

‘Despite our compliance, we are seeing leaders of other political parties continuing open campaigns, holding rallies and seeking votes for their symbols without any apparent restrictions,’ he said, alleging selective enforcement of electoral rules.

Another key issue discussed during the meeting was the disqualification of candidates on grounds of dual citizenship.

Nazrul alleged ‘strategic bias’ in the layout of postal ballots sent to expatriate voters, claiming that the arrangement of party names and symbols unfairly favoured a particular political party ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election.

He said that the postal ballot paper had been designed with five columns and 14 rows, resulting in the names and symbols of three specific political parties appearing on the first line.

By contrast, Nazrul Islam claimed, the BNP’s electoral symbol had been placed in the middle in such a way that it became less visible once the paper was folded.

The BNP requested that the postal ballots yet to be dispatched within the country be corrected to prevent a repetition of the ‘tactical approach’.

The party also raised allegations of irregularities in the distribution of postal ballots in Bahrain.

Nazrul Islam said that the commission had acknowledged its awareness of the incident and confirmed that it had contacted Bangladesh’s ambassador to Bahrain.

The commission said that an investigation was under way and action would be taken if wrongdoing was proven.

Replying to a question, Nazrul Islam said that the BNP was the first to demand reforms and would support the ‘yes’ side in the referendum on the issue.

On broader electoral issues, the BNP reiterated its demand for equal application of the law, particularly regarding the disqualification of candidates over dual citizenship.

Nazrul Islam Khan said that candidates who had renounced foreign citizenship should be eligible to contest, warning that selective disqualification undermined fairness.

He cited the cancellation of candidacy, including of two from the Jamaat-e-Islami, saying that all affected candidates should be given the opportunity for review.