Hundreds of BNP activists and supporters in Cumilla’s Nangalkot staged a dramatic protest wearing funeral shrouds (Kafan), demanding a change in the party’s nomination for the Cumilla-10 (Nangalkot-Lalmai) constituency. The protest was organised on Thursday evening (27 November) by the followers of Mobasher Alam Bhuiyan, a member of the BNP National Executive Committee, who was excluded from the primary nomination list. The protesters marched through the streets of the upazila headquarters, creating a scene that highlighted deep internal divisions within the local unit of the party.
According to party sources, the BNP’s primary nomination list for the Cumilla-10 seat featured the name of former Member of Parliament, Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan. Since the announcement, supporters of Mobasher Alam Bhuiyan have been carrying out continuous demonstrations across both Nangalkot and Lalmai upazilas. As part of this ongoing agitation, the activists appeared in white shrouds on Thursday evening to symbolise their readiness for ultimate sacrifice for their leader’s cause. The procession circumnavigated the main roads of the upazila town before concluding with a short rally at the Bottola intersection.
During the rally, speakers expressed their staunch opposition to the party’s current decision and urged the central leadership to announce Mobasher Alam Bhuiyan as the final candidate. They claimed that Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan had become detached from the grassroots during the party’s difficult periods and that Mobasher Alam was the only candidate capable of securing a victory in the upcoming national polls. Prominent speakers at the event included Jahangir Alam Majumdar, former General Secretary of Nangalkot Municipality BNP, Mizanur Rahman Majumdar, former member of Central Swechasebak Dal, and Abdur Rahim Sujan of Cumilla South District Swechasebak Dal. The protesters vowed to continue their agitation indefinitely until their demands were met. They warned that if the party failed to reconsider the nomination, it could face a negative impact at the ballot box, as the local workforce is predominantly aligned with the overlooked candidate.
GLIVE/TSN