The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is confronting internal unrest in Comilla, a district long considered one of its strongholds, as the upcoming parliamentary election approaches. The party has announced candidates for all eleven constituencies in the district, but protests have erupted in five—Comilla-2, Comilla-6, Comilla-7, Comilla-9, and Comilla-10—after several leaders were denied nominations. These demonstrations by excluded aspirants and their supporters have exposed divisions within the party’s local ranks.

Historically, BNP dominated Comilla, winning eight of twelve seats in 1991 and eleven in 2001 as part of an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, before dropping to two seats in 2008. Analysts cited in the report suggest that the political landscape shifted after August 5, 2024, with the emergence of rebel and independent candidates weakening BNP’s position and potentially benefiting Jamaat. In several constituencies, including Comilla-1 through Comilla-5, multiple parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) are fielding active campaigns.

Local observers believe that unless BNP resolves its internal divisions, it risks losing up to six seats in Comilla to rival or allied groups.