BNP Candidates Demand Change in Nominee with Coffin Clothes Protest

A section of BNP leaders and activists staged a protest demanding a change in the party’s candidate for the Noakhali-5 (Companiganj–Kabirhat) constituency, by marching in the streets wearing coffin clothes.

On Wednesday (19 November) afternoon, several hundred leaders and workers participated in the protest rally in Kabirhat Bazar.

The protesters demanded the nomination of Bajlul Karim Chowdhury Abed in place of the nominated candidate Fakhrul Islam. They chanted slogans such as “We want change, we want the Kabirhat nomination,” “Abed Bhai, no fear, we haven’t left the streets,” and “We do not accept or respect the illegitimate declaration.”

Eyewitnesses reported that around 3:30 PM, Abed-supporters, dressed in coffin clothes, gathered in front of Kabirhat College. From there, the protest march moved through the market and ended at the Kabirhat Zero Point. Among those who joined the procession were Kabirhat Upazila BNP’s Joint Convener Arafat Ur Rahman Hasan, Senior Joint Convener of the Kabirhat Municipality BNP Abul Bashar, and other leaders and activists from various unions and associated organizations.

BJP supporter Mohammad Harun, who participated in the protest, stated, “People want to stay with BNP and the ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol, but they also want a change in leadership. Fakhrul Islam is a product of Jamaat. We want BNP people in BNP. We do not want anyone connected to S. Alam. He has crippled Bangladesh’s banking sector. We strongly condemn this. We want a change in our constituency’s BNP candidate.”

In response, Bajlul Karim Chowdhury Abed, BNP’s Rural Development Secretary and former acting president of the Chhatra Dal, told Dhaka Post, “I’ve been a party worker for 39 years. I’ve spent the last two years in Kabirhat and Companiganj. The local BNP people want me, which I consider a success. They held such a rally out of love for me. Whatever decision the party makes, I have no comment on that.”

On the other hand, BNP candidate Fakhrul Islam dismissed all allegations against him, saying, “All accusations against me are false. I have stated that if any wrongdoing or links to Jamaat are proven, I will leave politics. What they’ve done is a violation of party discipline. If anyone disobeys the party’s instructions, the central party will take action. I have no further comments on this matter.”

Khaborwala/SS