The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has officially nominated district party president Rezaul Karim (Badsha) as its candidate for the Bogura-6 by-election, following the resignation of party chairman and former Prime Minister Tarek Rahman from the seat. Bogura-6 encompasses 21 wards of Bogura municipality and the Sadar Upazila.
The nomination letter, signed by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, was formally handed to Rezaul Karim on Thursday evening at the party chairman’s Gulshan office. The ceremony was attended by former Bogura district BNP president A K M Mahbubur Rahman, district vice-president Abdul Bashed, and acting district general secretary Mosharraf Hossain.
Speaking to local media, Mosharraf Hossain, also the BNP Member of Parliament for Bogura-4, confirmed, “The party’s official nomination letter for the Bogura-6 by-election was formally presented to Rezaul Karim at around 6:30 PM today at the chairman’s Gulshan office.”
The Election Commission announced the official schedule for the Bogura-6 by-election last Tuesday. Polling will be conducted on 9 April, from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Key dates for the election process are as follows:
| Process | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission of nomination papers | 2 March |
| Scrutiny of nominations | 5 March |
| Appeal period | 6–10 March |
| Appeal resolution | 11 March |
| Withdrawal of candidacy | 14 March |
| Allocation of symbols | 15 March |
Earlier, in the 13th National Parliamentary Elections held on 12 February, Tarek Rahman was elected from both Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies. However, he resigned from the Bogura-6 seat the day before taking oath, paving the way for the current by-election.
Historically, Bogura-6 has been a stronghold for the BNP. Since 1991, the party has maintained continuous victories in the constituency. Former BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia secured landslide wins in 1996, 2001, and 2008, while BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir won the seat decisively in 2018. The constituency’s electoral record is summarised below:
| Year | Winning Candidate | Party | Approx. Votes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Khaleda Zia | BNP | 75,000 | Landslide victory |
| 2001 | Khaleda Zia | BNP | 80,000 | Largest margin in years |
| 2008 | Khaleda Zia | BNP | 68,000 | Secured majority |
| 2018 | Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir | BNP | 72,000 | Strong win |
Political analysts and local BNP leaders are optimistic that Rezaul Karim will uphold the party’s longstanding dominance in Bogura-6 and secure a decisive victory in the upcoming by-election.