KULAURA, MOULVIBAZAR, Feb 15: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Alhaj Shawkatul Islam Shoku created history by winning the Moulvibazar-2 (Kulaura) constituency in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, marking a major breakthrough for the party in the area.
Contesting the parliamentary election for the first time, Shoku secured victory with a margin of 14,923 votes, defeating his nearest rival in a closely watched contest.
Returning Officer and Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Touhiduzzaman Pavel officially announced the unofficial results on Thursday night after completion of vote counting, including postal ballots, across all polling centres in the constituency.
According to the announced results, Shawkatul Islam Shoku, contesting with the 'Sheaf of Paddy' symbol of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, secured a total of 68,381 votes from 104 polling centres, including postal vote counting centres.
His closest rival, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Sayed Ali, contesting with the 'Scale' symbol, received 53,458 votes.
A total of eight candidates contested the seat. Among other contenders, independent candidate Fazlul Haque Khan Sahed, with the 'Cup and Saucer' symbol, secured 25,889 votes, while independent candidate Nawab Ali Abbas Khan, contesting with the 'Football' symbol, received 13,754 votes.
Independent candidate M Jimiur Rahman Chowdhury, with the 'Horse' symbol, secured 2,141 votes. Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) candidate Sadia Noshin Tasnim Chowdhury, contesting with the 'Scissors' symbol, received 591 votes.
Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) candidate Abdul Quddus, with the 'Hand Fan' symbol, secured 520 votes, and Jatiya Party candidate Md Abdul Malik, contesting with the 'Plough' symbol, received 484 votes.
Election officials said the victory marked a significant political milestone, as Shoku emerged victorious in his first parliamentary contest and secured the constituency for the BNP.
Local party leaders and supporters celebrated the victory, describing it as a reflection of growing public confidence and support for the party in the constituency. They expressed optimism that the newly elected lawmaker would work toward addressing local development priorities and public concerns.
Political observers said the result demonstrated a competitive electoral environment in the constituency, with multiple candidates securing notable vote shares. However, the BNP candidate maintained a clear lead throughout the counting process and ultimately secured a decisive victory.
The outcome has drawn attention across the district, as the constituency witnessed a historic result with a first-time candidate achieving a convincing win.
