A record number of 109 candidates, mostly Awami League hopefuls, are set to be elected unopposed in the January-5 national election as the BNP-led 18-party alliance is boycotting the polls.
The number of unopposed winners is going to surpass that of the largely-boycotted Feb-15 (1996) controversial election when 49 BNP candidates were elected uncontested.
According to data reaching the Election Commission from across the country as of Friday midnight, a total of 109 parliamentary constituencies got lone candidates.
Of them, 95 candidates are of the ruling AL, 11 of HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party and two of Anwar Hossain Manju-led Jatiya Party-JP and the rest one of Bangladesh Workers Party.
The 95 AL candidates those who are set to be elected unopposed are Dabirul Islam (Thakurgaon-2), Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury (Dinajpur-2), Naruzzaman Ahmed (Lalmonirhat-2), Abul Kalam Md Ahsanul Haque Chowdhury (Rangpur-2), AN Ashiqur Rahman (Rangpur-5), Fazle Rabbi Miah (Gaibanda-5), Shamshul Alam Dudu (Joypurhat-1), Abu Sayed Al Mahmud Swapan (Joypurhat-2), Abdul Mannan (Bogra-1), Habibur Rahman (Bogra-5), Golam Rabbani (Chapainawabganj-1), Abdul Wadud (Chapainawabganj-3), Israfil Alam (Noagaon-6), Omar Faruk Chowdhury (Rajshahi-1), Enamul Haque (Rajshahi-4), Abul Kalam (Natore-1), Shafiqul Islam Shimul (Natore-2), Abdul Kuddus (Natore-4), Mohammad Nasim (Sirajganj-1), Habib-e-Millat (Sirajganj-2), Ishaque Hossain Talukder (Sirajganj-3), Tanvir Imam (Sirajganj-4), Hasibur Rahman Swapan (Sirajganj-6), Sheikh Afil Uddin (Jessore-1), Kazi Nabil Ahmed (Jessore-3), Kabirul Haque (Norail-1), Sheikh Helal Uddin (Bagerhat-1), Mir Shawkat Ali Badsha (Bagerhat-2), Talukder Abdul Khaleque (Bagerhat-3), Tofail Ahmed (Bhola-1), Abdullah Al-Islam Jacob (Bhola-4), Abul Hasnat Abdullah (Barisal-1), Shawkat Hossain (Barisal-5), Abdul Hafiz Mollik (Barisal-6), Amir Hossain Amu (Jhalakati-2), AKMA Awal/Saidur Rahman (Pirozpur-1), Abdur Razzak (Tangail-1), Amanur Rahman Rana (Tangail-3), Abdul Latif Siddiqui (Tangail-4), Ekabbar Hossain (Tangail-7), Shawkat Momen Shahjahan (Tangail-8), Promod Mankin (Mymensingh-1), Sharif Ahmed (Mymensingh-2), Anwarul Abedin Khan Tuhin (Mymensingh-9), Syed Ashraful Islam (Kishoreganj-1), Sohrab Uddin (Kishoreganj-2), Redwan Ahmed Tawfik (Kishoreganj-4), Afzal Hossain (Kishoreganj-5), Nazmul Hasan (Kishoreganj-6), Mirza Azam (Jamalpur-3), Momtaz Begum (Manikganj-2), Jahid Malek (Manikganj-3) and Mrinal Kandi Das (Munshiganj-3).
They also include Qamrul Islam (Dhaka-2), Nasrul Hamid (Dhaka-3), Enamur Rahman (Dhaka-19), MA Malek (Dhaka-20), AKM Mozammel Haque (Gazipur-1), Jahid Hasan Russell (Gazipur-2), Advocate Rahmat Ali (Gazipur-3), Meher Afroze Chumki (Gazipur-5), Nurul Majid Mahmud Humaiyun (Narsingdi-4), Razi Uddin Ahmed (Narsingdi-5), Nazrul Islam Babu (Narayanganj-2), Shamim Osman (Narayanganj-4), Kazi Keramat Ali (Rajbari-1), Zillur Hakim (Rajbari-2), Abdur Rahman (Faridpur-1), Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury (Faridpur-2), Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain (Faridpur-3), Nur-e Alam Chowdhury (Madaripur-1), Shahjahan Khan (Madaripur-2), AFM Bahauddin Nasim (Madaripur-3), BM Mozammel Haque (Shariatpur-1), Shawkat Ali (Shariatpur-2), Nahim Razzak (Shariatpur-3), AMA Muhith (Sylhet-1), Syed Mohsin Ali (Molvibazar-3), Abdus Shahid (Molvibazar-4), Suranjit Sengupta (Sunamganj-2), Prof Ali Ashraf (Comilla-7), AHM Mostafa Kamal Lotus (Comilla-10), Mujibul Haque (Comilla-11), Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir (Chandpur-1), Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya (Chandpur-2), Dr Dipu Moni (Chandpur-3), Dr Mohammad Shamsul Haque Bhuiyan (Chandpur-4), Maj (retd) Rafiqul Islam (Chandpur-5), Nizam Uddin Hazari (Feni-2), Morshed Alam (Noakhali-2), Obaidul Quader (Noakhali-5), AKM Shahjahan Kamal (Laxmipur-3), Mohammad Hasan Mahmud (Chittagon-7), Ashekullah Rafik (Cox’s Bazar-2) and Saimum Sarwar Kamal (Cox’s Bazar-3).
The 11 Jatiya Party candidates are Shariful Islam Jinnah (Bogra-2), Salauddin Ahmed Mukti (Mymensingh-5), Tajul Islam (Kurigram-2), AKM Maidul Islam (Kurigram-3), Liakat Hossain Khoka (Narayanganj-3) and Nasim Osman (Narayanganj-5), Peer Fazlur Rahman (Sunamganj-4), Abdul Munim Chowdhury (Habiganj-1), Amir Hossain (Comilla-2), Nurul Islam Milon (Comilla-8) and Mohammad Noman (Laxmipur-2).
The two Jatiya Party-JP candidates are Anwar Hossain (Pirozpur-2) and Nurul Islam Talukder (Bogra-3).
The lone Workers’ party candidate is Fazle Hossain Badsha (Rajshahi-2),
The respective returning officers are expected to declare the candidates elected uncontested unofficially today (Friday) as the deadline for withdrawal of the candidature expired at 5pm.
In the Feb-15 (1996) one-sided election, 49 BNP candidates were elected MP uncontested. The election in 10 constituencies could not be held due to widespread violence. BNP won 279 parliamentary seats out of 290 in the sixth general election as it was largely boycotted.
However, no candidate was elected unopposed in the four participatory national elections – 1991 (fifth), 1996 (seven), 2001 (eight) and 2008 (ninth) after the fall of HM Ershad’s autocratic regime.
In the scrapped 2007 January 22 election, 18 candidates of BNP were elected uncontested. The election was cancelled after the 1/11 political changeover.
In the 1988 fourth national election, 18 candidates were elected uncontested, while 11 candidates elected unopposed in the 1986 third election.
Source: UNBConnect
