Dhaka: BNP has nominated some 800 candidates for some 280 constituencies, including its 14 ex-MPs known as ‘reformists’ for their role against the party during the 1/11 government in 2007, with more than one runner in most seats to contest the upcoming national election.

The distribution of party nomination letters among the aspirants which started on Monday continued till filing of this report around 10:30pm on Tuesday as Wednesday is the last date for the submission of nomination papers to the returning officers, reports the UNB.

All the candidates must submit their nomination papers by the deadline to contest the general election slated for December 30.

Party leaders said though they are likely to share 60 seats with their partners of the Jatiya Oikyafront and the 20-party alliances, they are initially fielding candidates in 280 seats as they still could not settle the seat-sharing issue.

They, however, said their party candidates will withdraw their candidature from the seats that will be shared with their alliance partners.

A party senior leader said they nominated the reformists leaders as part of their reconciliation move and thus make the party stronger ahead of the election.

The reformists leaders who have so far got BNP tickets are Abu Hena (Rajshahi-4), Alamgir Kabir (Naogaon-6) Jahiruddin Swapan (Barishal-1) Sarder Sakhwat Hossain Bakul (Narsingdi-4), Shohidul Haque Jamal (Barishaal-2), Shohidul HaqueTalukder (Patuakhali-2), Ataur Rahman Angur (Narayanganj-5), Elen Bhuttu (Jhalakati-2), Najir Hossain (Sunamganj-2), Ziaul Haque Mollah (Bagura-4), GM Siraj (Bagura-5), Mofiqul Hasan Tripti (Jashore-1), Abu Yusuf Khalilur Rahman (Joypurhat-2) and Naser Rahman (Moulvibazar-3).

Besides, the party initially fielded children and relatives of its late and senior leaders as its candidates in different seats to use the popularity of their predecessors.

They include late party secretary general Delwar Hossain’s son Akhtar Hamid Dablu (Manikganj-2), late BNP standing committee members ASM Hannan Shah’s son Reazul Hannan (Gazipur-3), Tariqul Islam’s son Aninda Islam Amith (Jashore-1), later party leader Shamsul Islam Khan’s son Mainul Islam Shanta (Manikganj-1), Harunur Rashid Khan Munnu’s daughter Afroza Khan Rita (Manikganj-3), Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui’s son Parvez Hamid Siddiqui (Naogaon-3), Mozhar Ali Prodhan’s son Masud Rana (Joupurhat-1),Nurul Huda’s son Tanvir Huda (Chandpur-2) and Kazi Anwar Hossain’s son Kazi Nazmul Hossain Tapash (Brahmanbaria-5).

Besides, late BNP leader Fazlur Rahman Patal’s wife Kamrunnahar Shirin (Natore-1) and missing Ilias Ali’s wife Tahsina Rushdir Luna (Sylhet-2) also got party tickets.

BNP standing committee member Jamiruddin Sircar’s son Naoshad Jamir also got nomination letter from Panchagarh-1 seat as his father opted not to be there in the race.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they nominated more than one candidate in most seats while single ones only in the constituencies of the party senior leaders. 

He said they kept additional runners so that they can make replacement in case of any candidate’s nomination is annulled during the scrutiny.

About the seat-sharing, he said they will settle the issue with the partners of the Jatiya Oikyafront after the scrutiny of nomination papers.

Talking to reporters at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he, however, said they have already completed the seat-sharing process with their partners from the 20-party alliance.

‘We’ve given nomination to 800 leaders from our party. We’ve also nominated some leaders from the partners of the 20-party alliance,’ the BNP leader said.

He said components of the Oikyafront are giving nomination independently to their candidates. ‘Once the scrutiny is over, we’ll settle the seat-sharing issue with them.’

Replying to a query about how many seats they have shared with their 20-party alliance partners, Fakhrul declined to disclose any specific number, saying it will be around 15.

About the seat-sharing with Oikyafront, he said they will decide it later after discussions.

Responding to another question, the BNP leader said they will not share more than 60 seats with their all alliance partners.

A BNP leader, wising anonymity, said their party is going to share seats with Jamaat-e-Islami, BJP, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, LDP, Jatiya Party (Zafar), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, NPP, Labour Party and Samyabadi Dal among the 20-party alliance partners.

However, a Jamaat leader claimed that BNP is going to share nearly 25 seats alone with them.

BNP insiders said their party will determine by December 8 through discussions with its alliance partners who can contest the election with BNP’s symbol ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ in 300 seats as December 9 is the last date of withdrawing the candidature.

They said they have so far agreed to share 21 seats with parties belonging to the Oikyafront while 25 with Jamaat and 15 with other partners of the 20-party alliance.

However, Jatiya Oikyafront partners are still in negotiations with BNP to get at least 10 more seats.  BNP is planning to share 5-7 seats with its alliance partners in the capital.

Among the 20-party components, a BNP standing committee member said, they have decided to share Bhola-1 with BJP chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partha, Narail-2 with NPP’s Fariduzzaman Farhad, Narayanganj-5 with Samyabadi Dal’s Syed Ahmed, Chattogram-5 with Kalyan Party Chairman Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, Chattogram-14 with LDP’s Oli Ahmed, Cumilla-7 with its Redwan Ahmed, Laxmipur-1 with its Shahdat Hossain Selim, Jashore-1 with Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam’s Mufti Wakkas, Sunamganj-3 with its Shanur Pasha and Khulna-4 with its Rezaul Karim, Pirojpur-2 with Labour Party’s Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Priojpur-1 with Jatiya Party (Zafar’s) Mostafa Jamal Haider, Gaibandha-3 with its TI Fazle Rabbi, Chandpur-3 with its AS AM Alam, Kushtia-2 with its Ahsan Habib Linkon and Brahmanbaria-4 with the same party’s Selim Master. 

A party standing committee member said they mainly have given importance to BNP’s candidates in the 2001 and 2008 general elections apart from reports of party internal surveys in selecting the contenders for the upcoming national election.  

He said they are going to initially field around 50 new candidates.

Of the total nominated candidates, the BNP leader said, over 20 are female ones and 10 others from minority communities.