Jamaat secures first victory in 53 years at Awami stronghold in Tajuddin's Kapasia
Many had assumed that with the Awami League absent, the BNP candidate would have an advantage in Kapasia.
In a historic upset in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, Gazipur-4 (Kapasia) experienced a dramatic political shift, with a Jamaat-e-Islami-backed candidate, contesting under the Daripalla symbol, winning for the first time in 53 years in the birthplace of Tajuddin Ahmed, one of Bangladesh's Liberation War architects and the nation's first prime minister.
Tajuddin Ahmed's ancestral home is in Dardaria village, Rayed Union, Kapasia, where the neighbouring Dardaria Government Primary School centre has long been a stronghold of the Awami League.
Many had assumed that with the Awami League absent, the BNP candidate would have an advantage in Kapasia, given the late BNP leader and Riazul Hannan's father, ASM Hannan Shah's legacy in the area. However, local BNP leaders cited internal conflicts, organisational weaknesses, and the controversial actions of some party members as factors that negatively affected their campaign.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Since independence, the Awami League's boat symbol has consistently sailed to victory here. This year, with the Awami League sidelined, the old political order was upended, giving Jamaat a historic win. Out of 1,933 registered voters at Dardaria, 1,096 turned out. Salahuddin Ayubi, the Jamaat-backed candidate, pulled in 678 votes, while BNP's Shah Riazul Hannan managed 328.
Eight candidates contested in Gazipur-4 overall, with unofficial results showing Salahuddin Ayubi winning 101,779 votes, narrowly beating BNP's Shah Riazul Hannan, who received 90,390 votes, a margin of 11,389 votes.
According to the Election Commission, the constituency has 330,977 registered voters, with 204,040 casting ballots, representing a turnout of 61.65%.
Asked about the election results, Mofiz Uddin, a member of the Kapasia Upazila Freedom Fighters' Council convening committee and former chairman of Sadar Union Parishad, said that "In this election, various factors came into play. In Rayed Union, the Daripalla candidate's home gave him a bit of a regional edge. Elsewhere, the overall activities of BNP leaders and workers over the past 17 months had a negative effect. On top of that, the party had its internal conflicts."
On the other hand, Khondkar Azizur Rahman Pera, member secretary of the Upazila BNP and a freedom fighter himself, disagreed with this assessment. He argued that the addition of nearly 30,000 new and "unfamiliar" voters tipped the scales, affecting the election outcome.
Acknowledging the defeat, Shah Riazul Hannan said, "The reasons for this loss have not yet been fully analysed. In case of mistakes on our part, I'm taking complete responsibility."
Speaking to supporters after his victory, Salahuddin Ayubi expressed gratitude to all sections of Kapasia, noting support from across parties, religions, and professions. "I want peaceful coexistence and aim to move Kapasia forward through inclusive participation," he said.
