Islami Andolan Bangladesh secures 2.70% votes as 96% candidates lose deposits

In the 13th National Parliamentary Election, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) suffered a near-total collapse nationwide, underscoring the party's rapidly eroding influence. Contesting 257 of 300 seats under the "hand fan" symbol, the party managed just a single victory, securing only 2.70% of the total votes, while a staggering 96% of its candidates lost their deposits, a clear indicator of voter rejection.

Tensions had simmered ahead of the polls over seat-sharing with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The most closely watched contest was the constituency led by National Citizen Party (NCP) chief Nahid Islam. 

IAB chose to field a candidate there independently, without a formal alliance with Jamaat, a high-stakes gamble that didn't pay off. Nahid Islam, contesting under the "waterlily bud" symbol, secured 93,872 votes, narrowly surpassing the BNP candidate's 91,833 votes. 

Meanwhile, IAB's Sheikh Fazle Bari Masud managed only 4,375 votes (2.26%), losing his deposit as the total valid vote share fell well short of the 12.5% threshold.

Across the 257 constituencies where IAB was in the fray, 227 candidates lost their deposits, many earning less than 1% of the vote. 

The party salvaged deposits in only a handful of constituencies: in Dhaka Division, just Badruzzaman Ujjal in Narsingdi-5 held his ground. Barishal Division proved slightly more fruitful, with roughly eight candidates retaining theirs, including Ali Ullah in Barguna-1, who won with 49.4%, and Prof Mostafizur Rahman in Patuakhali-4, who secured 33%.

Even the three brothers of IAB chief and Charmonai Pir Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim failed to make an impact. Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer Mufti Syed Md Faizul Karim lost Barishal-5 with 93,528 votes, finishing behind BNP's 1,31,431. In Barishal-6, he came third, while Syed Ishaq Mohammad Abul Khayer in Barishal-4 drew only 36,753 votes. 

Maulana Syed Mosaddeq Billah in Dhaka-4 garnered 6,518 votes, losing his deposit as BNP and Jamaat candidates dominated.

Reflecting on the outcome, Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim acknowledged that a coordinated campaign with Jamaat might have yielded better results but insisted, "We did not compromise on our principles." He also alleged that massive funds were deployed to undermine his party's prospects.

Political analysts in Barishal observed that, despite IAB candidates running energetic campaigns, their vote share failed to materialise at the ballot box. The lack of an alliance with Jamaat split votes, ultimately benefiting the BNP. 

Rafiqul Islam, general secretary of Barishal City Committee (Shujan), remarked, "The Charmonai Darbar continues to wield social and religious influence, but it has yet to convert that into a robust electoral base. Competing with well-organised parties remains a formidable challenge.