Former reserved-seat lawmaker and BNP’s international affairs assistant secretary Rumeen Farhana will contest the election as an independent candidate from the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency (Sarail–Ashuganj and parts of Bijoynagar).
She took the decision after the BNP left the seat for Maulana Junayed Al Habib, vice president of the central committee of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh. The information was confirmed to Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday afternoon by her personal assistant, Md Zakir Hossain.
Earlier in the day, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced at a press conference held at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan that the seat had been left for an alliance partner. He also warned that organizational action would be taken against anyone contesting independently against the party’s decision. Despite this, three BNP leaders have already announced plans to run as independent candidates in the constituency. Although the BNP announced candidates for 272 seats in two phases, this seat had been kept vacant.
Attempts to contact Rumeen Farhana on her personal mobile phone were unsuccessful. Later, her assistant Zakir Hossain said, “On behalf of Madam, local residents will collect the nomination papers from Sarail tomorrow at 12 noon. She will contest the election as an independent candidate in this constituency.”
Previously, at several public meetings, Rumeen Farhana said that her father, language movement activist Oli Ahad, contested the election from this seat in 1973. She stated that regardless of the party’s decision, she would contest from this constituency. She said she took the decision in response to strong demands from her supporters.
BNP candidates have contested and won the Brahmanbaria-2 seat six times in past elections. Maulana Junaid Al Habib will contest using the party symbol ‘Date Palm Tree’. At least four aspirants had long been campaigning for BNP nomination in the constituency. Among them, Rumeen Farhana, SN Tarun Dey—Secretary General of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Welfare Front and a member of the district BNP—and district BNP member Akhtar Hossain have announced they will contest as independent candidates.
Most recently, at a prayer and exchange meeting held on Friday afternoon at Bitghar Bazar’s Balu Field in Panishwar Union of Sarail upazila, organized for the recovery of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Rumeen Farhana formally announced her decision to contest as an independent candidate. She said, “I do what I say. If it turns out well, that’s good; if not, there’s nothing I can do about it. If you stand by me, whatever the symbol may be, I will contest the election from Sarail–Ashuganj.”
Regarding the matter, Sarail Upazila BNP General Secretary Nuruzzaman Laskar Tapu said, “Our leaders and activists are disappointed as we did not get the BNP symbol of the sheaf of paddy in Sarail. We had hoped the party would nominate a candidate here. But ultimately, the nomination has gone to the alliance partner. Since the party supports the alliance, we have no option to go beyond it. Therefore, we will work in the election for the alliance candidate.”
