In a significant political development in Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila, more than a hundred leaders and activists from the ruling Awami League have joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The joining ceremony took place on Sunday, November 2, at Champapur Union, where the new members were welcomed with flowers by central BNP Training Affairs Secretary A.B.M. Mosharraf Hossain. The group was led by Matilal Bhatt, General Secretary of Champapur Union Awami League, and former Union Parishad member Rabindranath Roy. The event was attended by several local BNP leaders, including Upazila BNP President Haji Humayun Sikder, Vice Presidents Mizanur Rahman Tutu Biswas and Jahangir Alam Talukdar, and others. Addressing the gathering, Mosharraf Hossain stated that the people of Champapur have long supported the Awami League but received nothing in return. He expressed hope that under the BNP, all residents could live in peace and equality. Welcoming the new members, he reaffirmed BNP’s commitment to standing by the people in their struggle for democracy and citizens’ rights. This large-scale defection signals a shifting political landscape in Kalapara ahead of future national political movements.