Bagherhat-1 seat goes to Jamaat candidate in tight race
Bagherhat-1, historically an Awami League stronghold, has long been represented by the party. The seat was previously held by Sheikh Helal Uddin, the eldest son of Sheikh Naser, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s younger brother
In a tightly contested race in Bagherhat-1, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Moshiur Rahman Khan emerged victorious, securing 116,884 votes, according to assistant returning officers from Mollahat, Fakirhat, and Chitalmari upazilas. His nearest rival, Kapil Krishna Mandal of the BNP, received 113,919 votes, giving Khan a narrow 2,965-vote margin of victory.
Bagherhat-1, historically an Awami League stronghold, has long been represented by the party. The seat was previously held by Sheikh Helal Uddin, the eldest son of Sheikh Naser, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's younger brother. Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina has also contested from this constituency in the past.
Kapil Krishna Mandal, a leader of the Matua Bahujan Samaj Oikkyo Jote, contested for parliament for the first time as a BNP candidate. He is also a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bangladesh.
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This election saw a total of eight candidates vying for the seat, including former BNP lawmaker MH Selim and BNP leader Engineer Masud Rana, who ran as independents. Masud Rana was expelled from the BNP for defying party directives by contesting independently.
Regional results played a key role in the close outcome. Khan led in Mollahat with 8,844 votes and in Fakirhat with 8,719 votes, while Mandal dominated Chitalmari with 6,598 votes. The cumulative result gave Jamaat's candidate a slim margin of 2,965 votes over the BNP contender.
