Rumin Farhana Speaks Out on BNP Nomination Issue

The BNP has released a preliminary list of candidates for 237 constituencies ahead of the upcoming national election. However, the name of senior party lawyer and former MP Barrister Rumin Farhana was not included. She has now spoken openly on the matter.

Speaking on a private TV talk show on Monday (November 3), Rumin Farhana addressed the issue of not being included in the party’s initial nomination list.

She said her nomination is currently “on hold.” Due to alliance negotiations with long-time partner parties of the BNP, nominations for 63 constituencies have not yet been announced. Additionally, discussions are ongoing with a few new political allies.

Rumin Farhana added that the BNP is negotiating seat-sharing with the parties that have stood by them for the past 12–15 years, through good and bad times. The party intends to nominate “winnable” candidates who have strong prospects in their respective constituencies.

Referring to protests and unrest among some BNP members who were denied nominations, she said it is normal for a large party to have multiple aspirants for the same seat. In many constituencies, 10–12 people applied for the nomination, making the final decision difficult. “We should respect the emotions of party workers. Feeling disappointed is natural, but this situation will not last,” she said.

She further mentioned that BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman held several meetings with the aspirants and briefed them about the nomination process.

Commenting on the current list, Rumin said it is only a preliminary one and subject to change. Some names may be dropped, while new ones could be added. She also pointed out that several nominations have been kept pending due to legal complications with the Election Commission, citing Bagerhat-2 as an example.

Regarding women’s representation, Rumin Farhana said if the BNP agrees to raise the female nomination quota to 5 percent, more women could be included in the final list.

She added that some constituencies remain pending due to unresolved disputes involving the Election Commission. She again cited Bagerhat-2 as an example, where one confirmed candidate’s nomination has been delayed solely due to commission-related issues.

Khaborwala/TSN