Nazrul Islam, Chattagram Bureau :
Chattagram is the south-eastern port city of Bangladesh is more than just the country’s second-largest urban hub. In national politics, Chattogram has always held symbolic as well as numerical importance.
The district contains 16 parliamentary seats, making it a battleground for the country’s leading political parties whenever national election approaches.
Sitakunda Upazila, which makes up the majority of the Chattogram-4 constituency, is an area of significant natural beauty, religious importance, and industrial activity.
It is characterized by a unique blend of hills, forests, and coastal areas along the Bay of Bengal. Sitakunda plays a vital role in the national economy.
The area is a key part of the larger National Special Economic Zone (formerly Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City), the country’s largest economic zone which spans across Sitakunda, Mirsarai, and Sonagazi upazilas.
In the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election-2026 BNP candidate nominated for the Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda) constituency is Kazi Salauddin.
He is a former joint convener of the BNP’s Chattogram North district unit. Chattogram-4 covers the Sitakunda Upazila (partially including areas like Akbarshah-Pahartali, though the primary upazila is Sitakunda).
His nomination was announced in the party’s initial list of candidates on November 3, 2025.
This selection caused significant controversy and protests among local party members who supported another prominent leader, Md Aslam Chowdhury.
Supporters of Aslam Chowdhury, an influential BNP adviser and former joint secretary general who was a candidate in the 2018 election, blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway to protest Kazi Salauddin’s nomination.
Aslam Chowdhury was released from jail in August 2024 after eight years of imprisonment and has a strong local following.
Kazi Salauddin’s nomination highlights a strategic decision by the party high command, likely favoring internal party discipline or a new direction over the strong local influence of Aslam Chowdhury, despite the resulting internal dissent.
The Jamaat-e-Islami candidate nominated for the Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda) constituency is Anwar Siddiqui Chowdhury, often referred to as Anwarul Siddiky.
He holds the position of organising secretary for the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Chattogram North district.
Chattogram-4 covers Sitakunda and a partial area of Akbarshah-Pahartali.
His name was included in the comprehensive list of 16 candidates finalized by the Jamaat election board for the greater Chattogram region constituencies.
He has been actively involved in organizing unit-level meetings and campaigning within the Sitakunda area to mobilize party workers and supporters.
It’s important to reiterate that Jamaat-e-Islami is not a registered political party with the Election Commission, so their candidates typically run as independents or in an alliance with another party.
However, it will be known only after the vote who will be in the final stage.
