The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a sweeping victory in Chattogram during the 13th parliamentary election, winning 14 out of 16 constituencies. Despite generating enthusiasm among voters, Jamaat-e-Islami managed to win only two seats. Analysts in the city have begun assessing why BNP’s grassroots-oriented approach succeeded while Jamaat, though active in both offline and online campaigns, failed to convert its momentum into votes.

Jamaat-aligned professional leader Engineer Manjeri Khorshed Alam attributed the party’s poor performance to several factors, including backlash over job dismissals following the recovery of five banks previously under S. Alam Group’s control. He noted that Jamaat’s candidates, though educated and clean in image, lacked mass appeal and electoral experience. BNP, on the other hand, benefited from its populist politics, long-standing opposition to Awami League repression, and the renewed leadership image of Tarique Rahman.

Civic leader Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury observed that BNP’s superior coalition management and moderate image helped attract floating voters who were reluctant to support Jamaat. Analysts suggested that BNP must now carefully manage public expectations to sustain its winning momentum.