Political analyst Zahed Ur Rahman told The Times of Dhaka that a rise in rebel candidates within the BNP was predictable, as the country’s last three elections were not genuinely competitive. However, he said the emergence of 92 rebel candidates across 79 constituencies is unexpected and highlights the BNP’s organizational weakness in failing to keep internal divisions under control.

He added that as the election draws nearer, the position of rebel candidates is likely to weaken. According to him, many voters tend to support the party they believe is most likely to win. He also noted that voters often take into account the perception that rebel candidates fall out of favor with their party, and that constituencies represented by such candidates may miss out on development if they are elected.