Over a dozen senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have not been included in the list of the party鈥檚 potential candidates for the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election.
The BNP on Monday announced the names of its preliminary candidates for 237 constituencies ahead of the JS polls to be held in the first half of February 2026.
The excluded senior leaders are, among others, BNP standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan, Selima Rahman, central leaders Moazzam Hossain Alal, Abdus Salam, Asaduzzaman Ripon, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Nasir Uddin Asim, Aminur Rashid Yasin, Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Rumeen Farhana, and Afroza Abbas.
Activists and leaders of some aspirants, however, staged protests, blocked highway in some places across the country over the denial of nomination of their respective leaders.
More than 80 new faces have been included in the BNP鈥檚 preliminary nominees who have never contested in any national election in the past.
The BNP has picked some new faces that include Hummam Quader Chowdhury, Sanjida Islam Tuli, Aminul Haque, Nayab Yusuf Ahmed, Tahsina Rushdir, Ishraq Hossain, Md Kamrul Huda, Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin.
Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the names of candidates at a press briefing at the BNP chair鈥檚 office in the capital鈥檚 Gulshan.
During the announcement, Fakhrul also said, 鈥榃e are announcing the names of possible candidates for 237 constituencies.鈥�
鈥榃e will finalise the candidates for the remaining seats through discussions with those who were with us in the simultaneous movement,鈥� he said.
鈥楾here might be changes in some seats. We want to make it clear that this is a preliminary list,鈥� he added.
BNP chair Khaleda Zia is set to contest for three constituencies--Dinajpur-3, Bogura-7, and Feni-1.
Party acting chair Tarique Rahman will contest for the Bogura-6 constituency while secretary general Mirza Fakhrul will run for Thakurgaon-1.