BNP Secures Historic Victory in Moulvibazar-4 After 55 Years

The Moulvibazar-4 constituency, comprising Sreemangal and Kamalganj upazilas, had remained under the control of the Awami League since independence. No BNP candidate had ever won the seat in a national election. However, in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, a BNP candidate secured a landslide victory in the constituency after 55 years. Local residents are describing the win as both historic and a landslide.

According to election sources, BNP candidate Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury (Haji Mujib), contesting with the “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol, received a total of 170,877 votes, including postal ballots. His closest rival, Maulana Nure Alam Hamidi of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, secured 50,204 votes. The BNP candidate won by a margin of 120,673 votes.

This marks the largest margin of victory for a BNP candidate among the 19 constituencies in the Sylhet Division.

Political observers note that the Awami League’s previous dominance in the seat was largely attributed to strong support from minority communities and tea garden workers. However, in this election, the BNP candidate and party activists conducted extensive grassroots campaigning across the constituency.

Having been active in politics for 26 years, Haji Mujib reportedly gained significant support among tea garden workers, 26 ethnic minority communities, and minority Hindu voters. He also enjoyed notable backing from Muslim voters in rural areas.

He first contested the seat in 2001, facing strong competition from Awami League leader and seven-time Member of Parliament, former Agriculture Minister Abdus Shahid. In subsequent years, he faced multiple legal cases and allegations of harassment. Following the Awami League’s return to power in 2009, he reportedly spent nearly four years in prison in connection with numerous cases.

The constituency consists of 18 unions and 2 municipalities. In this election, there were 485,558 registered voters, including approximately 2,500 postal voters. A total of six candidates contested the seat. Among them was an expelled BNP leader and independent candidate, Mohsin Mia Madhu, who received comparatively low support.

A total of 272,294 votes (including invalid ballots) were cast across the two upazilas, representing an average voter turnout of around 55 percent.

Voters cited the candidate’s personal popularity, the BNP’s strong organizational efforts, and promises of nine civic benefit initiatives — particularly agricultural support and family card programs — as key factors behind the victory.