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Published : 23 Dec 2025, 05:57 PM
Brahmanbaria-2 is among the four constituencies that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has ceded to its alliance partner Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, a decision that has reshaped expectations around the seat long associated with BNP leader Rumeen Farhana.
The constituency had been widely discussed as a potential contest for Rumeen, BNP’s assistant secretary for international affairs.
Despite not securing the party’s nomination, the former lawmaker has announced her intention to contest in the election independently from Brahmanbaria-2, which comprises parts of Sarail, Ashuganj and Bijoynagar Upazilas.
On Tuesday, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced that BNP would leave four seats for Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam as part of alliance arrangements.
He said the BNP would not field candidates in those four agreed constituencies and urged voters to support the alliance by voting for the Date Palm Tree symbol to strengthen the BNP’s Sheaf of Paddy.
He also warned that organisational action would be taken against anyone who contested in the election independently in defiance of party decisions.
In Brahmanbaria-2, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam has nominated its central committee Joint Secretary General Junaid Al Habib as its candidate.
Rumeen’s possible candidacy in the seat had been a subject of intense discussion even before the election schedule for the parliamentary elections was announced.
On Nov 3, the BNP published an initial list of candidates for 237 constituencies, but did not name anyone for Brahmanbaria-2.
From that point, local BNP activists became increasingly convinced that the seat would be allocated to Junaid.
Rumeen, however, did not halt her campaign activities, repeatedly signalling at public meetings that she would run as an independent candidate if denied party nomination.
She reiterated that position on Friday afternoon at a prayer meeting in Bitghar Bazar of Panishwar Union in Sarail, held to pray for the recovery of Khaleda Zia.
“I do what I say — whether it turns out good or bad, that is on me,” she said. “If you stand by me, whatever the symbol, I will run from Sarail-Ashuganj.”
Asked whether she would still run despite the seat-sharing arrangement, Rumeen told bdnews24.com that she had worked for BNP in the constituency since 2015.
“My father also won an election from this seat. I have a responsibility to the people here. Ordinary voters want me. I will run independently,” she said.
Sarail Upazila BNP General Secretary Nuruzzaman Laskar Tapu, however, said local leaders would abide strictly by the party’s decision, calling it a moral duty after years without voting rights.
Brahmanbaria-2 has a total of 499,448 voters, with 288,609 in nine unions of Sarail, 153,099 in eight unions of Ashuganj, and 57,740 in two unions of Bijoynagar.
