BNP Nominates Awami League Leader Subarna Thakur for Reserved Women’s Seat

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has nominated Subarna Thakur, a longtime local leader of the rival Awami League from Gopalganj district, for one of the reserved women’s seats in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, triggering sharp discontent among the party’s grassroots activists.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the final list of 36 candidates for the reserved seats on Monday.

Subarna Thakur, who until recently served as Forest and Environment Secretary of Kashiani Upazila Awami League, hails from the prominent Harichand Thakur family in Orakandi. She had collected a BNP nomination form in recent weeks and actively sought the party’s backing for the reserved seat.

The decision has sparked immediate backlash within BNP’s local ranks in Gopalganj. Several grassroots leaders and workers expressed frustration that dedicated party activists who participated in prolonged movements and struggles were sidelined in favor of someone with a recent history in the Awami League.

When contacted by The Daily Campus, Subarna Thakur acknowledged that she had collected the BNP nomination form and sought the party’s nomination. However, when asked about her continued association with the Awami League committee, she declined to comment and later ended the call, citing busyness.

The nomination comes amid ongoing speculation about her potential switch in political allegiance, further intensifying local debate over the selection process for the reserved seats.