The national election is scheduled for the first half of February next year. Barura, a fertile agricultural upazila in Cumilla, makes up the Cumilla-8 (Barura) parliamentary seat, officially constituency number 256 in the national register. It comprises one municipality and 15 union councils. Ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Elections, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are already actively campaigning, while other parties remain largely inactive.
Locals report that despite the presence of a committee, the newly formed National Citizens’ Party (NCP) has yet to establish a significant footing. The party is currently focused on internal organisation rather than public campaigning.
BNP is determined to reclaim the seat, while Jamaat-e-Islami is vying to secure its first-ever victory here. Jamaat’s candidate and his supporters are tirelessly campaigning across every corner of the constituency.
Historically, the seat was once an Awami League stronghold. In 1991, the late Abu Taher won it for the BNP. He was re-elected in February 1996 and again in 2001. Under his leadership, the BNP and its affiliates built a strong organisational presence in Barura. Following his death in 2004, his son, Zakaria Taher Sumon—then the BNP’s International Affairs Secretary—won the by-election.
In the 2008 election, Zakaria contested again but narrowly lost to Awami League’s Nasimul Alam Chowdhury Nazrul. Nazrul later won uncontested elections in both 2018 and 2024. However, during the 2024 anti-discrimination student movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country, and Nazrul was arrested and jailed by law enforcement.
For the upcoming election, Zakaria Taher Sumon is once again the BNP’s candidate. Now the central BNP’s Employment Affairs Secretary and convenor of Cumilla South District BNP, he is actively attending social events and engaging in door-to-door outreach to boost his public presence.
On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami formally announced Principal Md Shafiqul Alam Helal as their candidate during a rally held on 5 August 2024 at the Haji Nowab Ali Pilot High School field. Helal, principal of Ibn Taimiya School & College and a member of Jamaat’s district executive committee, has been continuously campaigning across the constituency. Jamaat and its student wing Shibir are also organising small-scale, local meetings to bolster his support.
Meanwhile, the NCP may field its student wing’s president, Abu Baker Mojumdar, though the party has yet to begin active campaigning. Other possible candidates include Islamic scholars and party leaders from the Olama Party, Zaker Party, Islami Jubosena, and the Khelafat Andolon. However, none have been seen conducting public meetings or campaigns so far.
As it stands, the BNP and Jamaat are dominating the political landscape in Barura, and the primary contest is expected to be between their respective candidates.
The constituency has 349,395 registered voters, including 179,212 men, 170,179 women, and 4 third-gender voters.
