In a significant shift for the Bogra-1 (Sariakandi-Sonatala) constituency, more than 200 leaders and activists from the Jatiya Party officially joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday night.
The mass defection took place during an election roadshow in Sariakandi Upazila's Hatfulbari Union, held in support of BNP candidate Kazi Rafiqul Islam.
The group was led by Principal Mokhchedul Alam, a member of the Jatiya Party Central Executive Committee and president of its Sariakandi Upazila unit. Alam and his supporters presented flowers to Rafiqul Islam—the "Paddy Sheaf" candidate—to symbolize their change in allegiance.
Key defectors include Sariakandi Jatiya Party Vice-President Tahsin Ali, General Secretary Rabiul Islam, and Municipal President Mofazzal Hossain, along with several other district and student wing leaders.
The departing members cited their confidence in the political programs of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and current leadership under Tarique Rahman as the primary reasons for their move.
Welcoming the new members, Kazi Rafiqul Islam stated that a victory for the BNP would signal a "revolution in education and health" for the country. "If we exercise our voting rights correctly, the history of Bangladesh will be written anew," he told the gathered crowd.
The event was chaired by Fulbari Union BNP President Ataur Rahman and attended by several senior regional leaders, reflecting the growing momentum of the BNP campaign in the Bogra district as the February 12 national election approaches.
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