Krishna Nandi, the only Hindu candidate nominated by Jamaat-e-Islami, was defeated in the Khulna-1 constituency, comprising Botiaghata and Dacope, after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party registered a sweeping victory in the historic Bangladesh elections. Ameer Ejaz Khan from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has secured the seat with a total of 121,352 votes.
According to Dhaka-based The Business Standard, results from 120 polling centres showed Khan securing 121,352 votes with the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol. Nandi, contesting on the Daripalla symbol, received 70,346 votes.
Khan will succeed Noni Gopal Mondal, a Hindu leader from the now-banned Awami League, who had previously represented the constituency in 2008 and 2024.
Nandi’s entry into the electoral race had drawn national attention ahead of Bangladesh’s February 12 parliamentary elections.
A veteran Hindu businessman with decades of commercial experience, Nandi contested on a Jamaat-e-Islami ticket. This uncommon alignment generated debate, particularly given his close political association with the party’s Secretary-General, Mia Golam Parwar.
Nandi asserted during the campaign that Jamaat-e-Islami could represent citizens across religious communities. He said that if elected, he would raise issues affecting Hindus in the Jatiya Sangsad and challenge the perception that Islamist parties are unable to accommodate minority voices.
He repeatedly said his decision to enter politics was driven by the need for stronger minority representation within mainstream political platforms, irrespective of party affiliation. He stated that he would go to Parliament and speak for Hindus and that this was the reason he was contesting the election.
Nandi also maintained that Jamaat-e-Islami was a party guided by principles and ideals and had stood by the Bangladeshi public, regardless of religion, during the difficult period following the ousting of the Hasina regime.
The Khulna-1 seat has seen multiple shifts over the years. In 2001, Panchanan Biswas of the Awami League won the constituency. Mondal reclaimed the seat for the party in 2008. Biswas later returned as MP in 2014 and 2018 on an Awami League ticket.
