Ameer Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, a member of BNP’s Standing Committee and the party’s nominated candidate for Chattogram-11 (Port-Potenga) constituency, submitted his nomination papers today. He appeared at the office of the regional election officer, Mohammad Belayet Hossain Chowdhury, at 1:40 PM on Monday to officially file his papers.
Speaking to journalists afterward, Ameer Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury described the day as “a moment of great joy for the people of Bangladesh.” He said, “For the past 15–16 years, the people of this country have made sacrifices. Many have lost their lives, faced murder, or been victims of false cases. After such sacrifices, we have now regained our right to vote. People are eagerly awaiting the elections.” He added, “We are moving toward restoring democratic structures. This joy belongs to everyone.”
When asked about alliances with Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and other ten-party coalitions, he stated, “Each party has the right to decide its own election strategies. We welcome discussions on forming alliances.”
Ameer Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury was first elected as a BNP Member of Parliament in a by-election in 1991 from Chattogram-8 (Port-Halishahar-Potenga-Kattali). He later served as the Minister of Commerce in 2001 and remained in the post until March 25, 2004. Currently, he is a member of BNP’s highest policy-making body, the Standing Committee.
Chattogram has 16 parliamentary seats covering 15 upazilas and 34 thanas, including four in the city, seven in the northern region, and five in the southern region. Following the announcement of the election schedule on December 11, nomination forms were distributed from the offices of three returning officers. Monday marked the final day for submitting nomination papers.