In a dramatic political reversal, the Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) failed to win a single seat in any of the 33 constituencies across Rangpur Division in the 13th national election, an unprecedented defeat in a region long seen as its electoral stronghold.
The division, long associated with the party’s late chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad, delivered a complete rejection of the JP, with several candidates even forfeiting their deposits.
Political observers say the result signals a deep organisational crisis and shrinking electoral base for the party in its traditional stronghold.
Former Jatiya Party presidium member and Rangpur-5 candidate SM Fakhar-Uz-Zaman said the party’s defeat stemmed from multiple factors.
“We lost for several reasons. One of them is that we have no organisational base at all. Besides, although we were part of the government, we could not bring visible development to Rangpur,” he said.
Following the announcement of the results, a satirical image depicting a ‘funeral’ of the Jatiya Party, with its electoral symbol — the plough — placed in front, went viral on social media.
Local political analysts and voters attributed the defeat to a leadership crisis at the grassroots level, internal divisions, weak organisational activities, and a lack of clear political direction.
They also pointed to the party’s long-standing proximity to the Awami League and its failure to establish itself as a credible third force outside the BNP-Jamaat political divide.
According to analysts, the election outcome serves as a serious warning for the party’s political future in Rangpur.
They suggest that the Jatiya Party must reorganise its grassroots structure, bring forward new leadership and clarify its political stance if it hopes to regain lost ground.
Election results across the division reflected the party’s serious decline.
In Rangpur-2, JP candidate Anisul Islam Mondal secured 33,930 votes, while Jamaat candidate ATM Azharul Islam won with 135,556 votes and BNP’s Mohammad Ali Sarkar received 80,538 votes.
In Rangpur-3, party chairman GM Quader obtained 43,790 votes, while Jamaat candidate Mahbubur Rahman Belal won with 178,064 votes. BNP candidate Shamsuzzaman Samu received 85,498 votes.
In Rangpur-4, JP candidate Abu Naser Shah Md Mahbubar Rahman polled 33,664 votes. NCP leader Akhtar Hossain won the seat with 149,966 votes, while BNP candidate Emdadul Haque Bhorosa received 140,564 votes.
In Rangpur-5, JP candidate SM Fakhar Uz-Zaman Jahangir secured 16,490 votes, while Jamaat candidate Golam Rabbani won with 176,411 votes. BNP candidate Prof Md Golam Rabbani received 115,116 votes.
In Rangpur-6, JP’s Nur Alam Mia polled only 1,287 votes. Jamaat candidate Maulana Md Nurul Amin won with 120,128 votes, while BNP candidate Saiful Islam secured 117,703 votes.
A similar trend was observed in other districts of the division, including Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur.
Historically, the JP dominated the Rangpur region, winning 17 seats in 1991, 21 in 1996, 14 in 2001 and 12 in 2008.
The party secured seven seats in the division in 2018 and three in the 2024 election. However, its influence has steadily declined amid shifting alliances and political realignments.
Analysts say that after Ershad’s death, the party failed to produce a unified and widely accepted leadership. Internal divisions, including factional disputes at the central level, have weakened grassroots structures.
Many local committees remain inactive and the party has struggled to attract younger voters or present a clear political message.
Voters also expressed frustration. Rasheda Begum, a resident of Rangpur City Corporation area, said the party had failed to deliver visible development despite holding parliamentary seats for years. “People now want change,” she said.
Another young voter, Sohel Rana, said the party had not been able to position itself as a strong alternative force in national politics.
In Rangpur division, candidates contesting with the scale symbol won 17 of the 33 seats, while alliance-backed candidates secured two seats, indicating a shift in the region’s political landscape.
Political analyst Fakhrul Anam Benju said the main contest in the election centred on two major political camps, leaving little space for the JP as a third force. “Voters cast strategic ballots amid growing political polarisation,” he said.
Rangpur district JP president Ajmal Haque Lebu, however, alleged that the party was defeated due to “election engineering” and misuse of state machinery.
He also acknowledged that the party had internal weaknesses that contributed to the poor result.
