28 sports personalities in the election field
Kamal Hossain Bablu :
The 13th National Parliament election will be held today. In this election, not only politicians, but also a group of star athletes and sports organisers are contesting the election.
From the SAFF winning goalkeeper Aminul Haque, former national footballer Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed to former players from the country’s two top clubs Dhaka Abahani and Dhaka Mohammedan, 28 sports personalities are in the 2026 election fray.
Almost all sports-related figures are contesting this election from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Of them, 26 are running for the BNP, one for the 11-party alliance, and the remaining one is running as an independent candidate.
Former footballer Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram is contesting the election from Bhola-3 constituency with the BNP nomination. Hafiz Uddin Ahmed played for the Pakistan National Football team. After the Independence of Bangladesh he captained the Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club in domestic football for a long time.
After the country’s independence, he was awarded the National Award as a best footballer in 1973.
Aminul Haque was the main architect of Bangladesh’s historic SAFF Championship winning team in 2003. He brought the country its first SAFF title. Aminul is contesting the elections on behalf of BNP from Dhaka-16 constituency.
Several heavyweight sports organisers are in the fray this election. Dhaka Mohammedan’s permanent member and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is contesting from Thakurgaon-1. Another permanent member of Mohammedan, Monirul Haque Chowdhury, is contesting from the Cumilla-6 constituency for the BNP. Former Vice-President of the same club, Shariful Alam is contesting from Kishoreganj-6 and former opposition chief whip Joynal Abedin Faruk is contesting from Noakhali-2 for BNP.
Former Bangladesh Cricket Board President Ali Asghar Lobby is contesting from the Khulna-6 constituency. In addition, former minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, an organiser during the founding period of Dhaka Abahani Limited, is running for election from the Sirajganj-2 constituency for BNP. President of Brothers Union Club Engineer Ishraq Hossain (son of former Dhaka mayor and former state minister of youth and sports, the late Sadeque Hossain Khoka) is contesting from Dhaka-6 constituency.
Former minister for Housing and Public Works Ministry, Dhaka Mohammedan’s member Mirza Abbas is contesting from Dhaka-8. Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director and BNP leader Barkat Ullah Bulu is contesting from Noakhali-3. Victoria Club President and former DUCSU GS Khairul Kabir Khokon is contesting from Narsingdi-1 constituency in this year’s election.
Owners of BPL team Dhaka Capitals Nazrul Islam Azad is contesting from Narayanganj-2 and Former state minister for Youth and Sports Ministry Nitai Roy Chowdhury is contesting from Magura-2 constituency. Former BCB director Rasheduzzaman Millat is contesting from Jamalpur-1 and former volleyball player and former state minister for Education Ehsanul Haque Milon is contesting from Chandpur-1 constituency. Besides, former President of Arambagh Krira Shangha Sheikh Fariduddin Ahmed Manik Chandpur-3, BFF councillor Farhad Hossain Azad Panchagarh-2, BFF councillor Shah Md Wares Ali Mamun is contesting from Jamalpur-5, Jatrabari Krira Chakra President Nabi Ullah Nabi is contesting from Dhaka-5, Badda Jagrani Adviser MA Qayyum is contesting from Dhaka-11, Dilkusha Club President Habibur Rashid Habib is contesting from Dhaka-9, BCB Councillor and Chittagong Blues Governing Body Chairman Mir Helal is contesting from Chittagong-5 constituency.
Nazrul Islam Manju, a former member of the Khulna District Sports Association, is running for BNP from the Khulna-2 constituency. Former BFF president and LDP President Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad is contesting from an 11-party alliance in the Chittagong-14 and Former footballer Sajjad Hossain Lavlu Siddiqui is contesting as an independent candidate from the Madaripur-1 constituency.