Dhaka‑8: Voters rally behind Abbas as Patwary fights outsider tag

Voters see Abbas as the local favourite while Patwary struggles for recognition in a contest marked by uneven ground

Voters in Dhaka‑8 believe the contest between BNP leader Mirza Abbas and National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Nasiruddin Patwary may prove as uneven as their age gap.

Many argue Abbas, the candidate for the BNP’s Sheaf of Paddy, is a son of the constituency, well‑known and familiar to residents.

Patwary, by contrast, is seen as an outsider with limited recognition.

Patwary himself has described the election as “unequal”, citing the absence of a level playing field and the influence of illegal arms and money, though he continues campaigning actively.

Dhaka‑8 is one of the capital’s most talked‑about constituencies, covering key areas including Motijheel, Paltan, Shahbagh, Shahjahanpur and Ramna.

The seat also drew attention after the killing of Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman bin Hadi, who had announced his candidacy before being shot dead weeks before the campaign.

Besides Abbas and Patwary, the list of contenders includes AHM Rafiquzzaman Akand of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (Marxist), AFM Ismail Chowdhury of Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD), SM Sarwar of Bangladesh Islamic Front, Kefayet Ullah of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Meghna Alam of Gono Odhikar Parishad, Tridip Kumar Saha of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Md Golam Sarwar of Jonotar Dal, Md Juber Alam Khan of Jatiya Party, and Md Russel Kabir of Bangladesh Sangskritik Mukti Jote.

Locals, however, see Patwary as the most likely runner‑up behind Abbas.

The constituency, comprising nine wards of Dhaka South City Corporation, has 275,471 registered voters.

Historically, much of Dhaka‑8 was once part of Dhaka‑6, from where Abbas was first elected to parliament and later became state minister for youth and sports, as well as mayor of undivided Dhaka.

He lost to Saber Hossain Chowdhury in 1996 but regained the seat in 2001, serving as housing and public works minister.

Following boundary changes in 2008, Dhaka‑8 has largely been held by candidates backed by the Awami League‑led alliance.