Prime Minister ride with Syed Ehsanul Huda fuels internal rivalry within Bajitpur BNP

KISHOREGANJ — A viral video of the Prime Minister inviting Syed Ehsanul Huda into her vehicle during a recent visit to Kishoreganj has ignited fresh speculation regarding the fractured state of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the Kishoreganj-5 constituency. The incident has deepened the divide between supporters of the former lawmaker, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his political rival, Syed Ehsanul Huda.

The constituency’s political landscape has been polarized since the 13th national parliamentary elections. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the expelled president of the Bajitpur Upazila BNP, initially sought the party’s nomination for the seat. However, the nomination was ultimately granted to Huda, who had dissolved his own party, the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), to join the BNP on December 21, 2025.

Running as an independent candidate after being denied the party ticket, Mujibur Rahman defeated Huda by 13,154 votes. Following his defiance of party directives, the BNP expelled Mujibur Rahman and 83 other local leaders from Bajitpur and Nikli upazilas on January 24. Despite their expulsion, the faction remained active in local politics, organizing various programs under the Upazila BNP banner.

Tensions escalated ahead of the Prime Minister’s August 16 visit, with both factions staging preparatory meetings to demonstrate their strength. Supporters of Mujibur Rahman had anticipated his presence on the Prime Minister’s dais, but he was absent from the event. It was later revealed that he had traveled to Singapore for emergency medical treatment for a heart condition the night before the visit.

During the event, the Prime Minister stopped her vehicle to invite Huda to join her, a moment captured on social media that has since become the focal point of local political discourse. Ehsan Kufia, president of the Bajitpur Municipal BNP and a supporter of Huda, described the gesture as a significant signal from the central leadership regarding the future of the local party.

Questions arise over legality of Humayun Kabir ministerial appointment amid uncertainty regarding renunciation of British citizenship

Read Article

Conversely, allies of Mujibur Rahman maintain that the incident is being misinterpreted. Md. Moniruzzaman, an expelled former general secretary of the Upazila BNP, dismissed claims that the vehicle encounter signified a shift in political control. He stated that Mujibur Rahman’s absence was strictly due to his medical condition and criticized opponents for using his health issues as a tool for political posturing.

The rivalry has increasingly shifted into the realm of digital optics, where supporters of both leaders compete to showcase their proximity to central party figures through photographs. Following his return from Singapore, Mujibur Rahman was seen standing near the Prime Minister and Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at the National Parliament, images which his supporters quickly circulated. Similarly, photos of Huda standing alongside senior party officials at a separate event have been used by his faction to claim influence.

Organizational Secretary of the Bajitpur Upazila BNP, Mostafizur Rahman, who remains unaffiliated with either faction, expressed concern over the situation. He noted that the local party is suffering from severe indiscipline, with political activity currently being defined more by the circulation of images on social media than by substantive organizational work. Mazharul Islam, the Kishoreganj District BNP General Secretary, declined to comment on the internal turmoil.