District Correspondent, Cumilla
A dispute has emerged within the BNP over the party’s nomination for the Cumilla-2 constituency, following recent changes to electoral boundaries.
Local residents and BNP activists say that despite opposition from senior BNP leader and Standing Committee member Professor Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, veteran academic and party figure Professor Selim Bhuiyan remains the most trusted name among voters in Homna and Titas.
Previously, the Cumilla-2 constituency consisted of Homna and Meghna upazilas, while Cumilla-1 comprised Daudkandi and Titas upazilas. Professor Bhuiyan, originally from Meghna, was long considered the natural BNP candidate for Cumilla-2.
However, allegations have surfaced that Professor Mosharraf, along with former additional secretary Engineer M A Matin, influenced the Election Commission to alter the constituency boundaries. Under the revised demarcation, Meghna was merged with Daudkandi (previously Daudkandi-Titas), while Homna was combined with Titas to form the new Cumilla-2 constituency (Homna-Titas).
“The Election Commission made this decision without considering the will of the local people,” said Abdul Gani, a Homna resident and professor at a Cumilla college. “The entire boundary change seems designed to block Professor Selim Bhuiyan.”
Despite the redistricting, Bhuiyan continues to enjoy strong grassroots support in both Homna and Titas, where he maintains a residence and long-standing local connections. Though born in Meghna, his three decades of service to the party and close rapport with voters across the region have kept him in serious contention for the BNP nomination.
Even after the boundary changes, Bhuiyan organized a massive teachers’ rally in Dhaka on behalf of the BNP, drawing nearly 200,000 participants—an event that solidified his standing within the party’s rank and file.
According to insiders, Professor Mosharraf reportedly opposed Bhuiyan’s nomination during a BNP Standing Committee meeting. Some allege that his motivation was personal—aiming to secure a nomination for his own son.
Meanwhile, Kefayet Ullah, joint convener of the Meghna upazila unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (BNP’s student wing), claimed that certain quarters were lobbying for former bureaucrat M A Matin after the party announced that no family would receive more than one nomination.
Prominent businessman Amzad Hossain from Homna said Bhuiyan’s long association with the area makes him a familiar and respected figure. “Jamaat-backed businessmen are pouring in huge sums for their candidate,” he said. “To counter that money, BNP needs a strong leader like Professor Bhuiyan. With a capable nominee, Jamaat’s money will just sink into the Titas and Homna rivers.”
He warned that nominating “an unknown, non-political bureaucrat” could cost the BNP the seat entirely.
Repeated attempts to reach Professor Mosharraf Hossain were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls.
Contacted by phone, M A Matin said he would not comment on internal party matters. Asked about his alleged role in the boundary change, he said that while he knows the Election Commission secretary personally, “no such request was ever made.”
Professor Bhuiyan could not be reached for comment. His personal secretary, Murad, said the professor was “busy attending several meetings and rallies in Homna and Titas to mark National Revolution and Solidarity Day.”
