BNP could benefit from internal rift in Jamaat alliance in Savar race

Candidates are making different promises to woo the voters in a fairly calm election campaign

The Dhaka-19 constituency, which comprises Savar and Ashulia, has long held special importance for all major parties in national parliamentary elections.

As an industrial hub, the area is home to people from across the country, who make up its residents and voters.

For a long time, the constituency has been regarded as a “BNP stronghold”. BNP candidate Dewan Mohammad Salauddin, who has been elected as MP from the seat twice before, is once again contesting with the party’s symbol, the paddy sheaf.

On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami has withdrawn its candidate and extended support to Dilshana Parul of the National Citizen Party (NCP), the candidate of the 11-party alliance, who is contesting with the “Shapla Koli” (lotus bud) symbol.

However, another partner of the alliance -- the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) -- has not withdrawn its candidate. Retired Lt Gen Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardi is contesting the election with the “umbrella” symbol.

As a result, there is widespread speculation over who voters would pick among the 11-party alliance’s candidates. But overall, in a contest without the Awami League, the BNP appears largely relaxed.

This has affected the election environment. Contestants are making different promises to woo voters in a largely calm campaign.

Aside from the main contenders, several other candidates are in the race: Jatiya Party’s Bahadur Islam Imtiaz with the “plough” symbol, National People’s Party (NPP) candidate Md Israfil Hossain Savari with the “mango” symbol, Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP) candidate Sheikh Shawkat Hossain with the “truck” symbol, Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate Mohammad Faruk Khan with the “hand fan” symbol, and Bangladesh Muslim League candidate Md Kamrul with the “lantern” symbol. However, their campaign activities have drawn little attention.

A visit to the constituency shows that the campaigns for BNP candidate Dewan and NCP candidate Parul are the most active. Even then, the paddy sheaf candidate appears to be several steps ahead.

Many general voters, however, say they are pleased with the calm and peaceful environment.

Still, they say the usual festive election atmosphere typical in the days before an election is missing in this constituency, and it does not feel like an election is imminent. Still, they express a sense of joy at the prospect of being able to vote freely after 17 years.

Hence, voters are making their own calculations of where to cast their ballot. Although they do not see a real alternative to the BNP candidate in the absence of any “heavyweight” contender, they say they ultimately want to choose a candidate who offers proper leadership, competence, and development for both the country and its people.

NCP candidate Parul, backed by the 11-party alliance, said: “I am a woman candidate. Most voters here are garment workers, and a large portion of them are women. There are also many young and first-time voters in this constituency who want change. These voters are my main strength.”

Meanwhile, LDP candidate retired Lt Gen Sarwardi is also actively campaigning with the “umbrella” symbol, claiming that he is an alliance candidate. He is highlighting his role and activities following the Rana Plaza collapse and seeking votes on that basis.

BNP leaders and activists claim that the split within the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance has further paved the way to victory for the paddy sheaf candidate, arguing that if Jamaat’s votes are divided between the NCP and LDP, BNP’s vote share will increase.

BNP candidate Salauddin said, “No matter which party a candidate belongs to, or how small that party is, I give everyone equal importance in an election. I consider all of them to be strong competitors.

“However, I believe voters will elect me based on my past work and the love and support people have for me and my party.”

The Dhaka-19 constituency comprises Shimulia, Dhamsona, Iyarpur, Ashulia, Birulia, Pathalia and Savar unions, along with the Savar municipality and the Savar Cantonment area. The total number of voters in the constituency stands at 747,070, with 379,906 men, 367,151 women and 13 voters from the third gender.