Thousands of leaders, workers and supporters followed their aspirants beating drums and chanting slogans and carrying portraits, banners and festoons at the time of filing their leaders' nomination papers.

The BNP high-ups have already finalised its candidates and secretly confirmed many of them, asking them to file their nominations, sources said. The party is, however, yet to disclose its candidatures officially.

Sources said the BNP is likely to release the list of its candidates today, one day before the last date of nomination filing.

"We will release the names of our candidates timely," Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP joint secretary general, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Tayaba Majumder, mother of the BNP chairperson, submitted nomination paper to the returning officer on behalf of Khaleda Zia for Dinajpur-3 constituency while former state minister Aman Ullah Aman filed papers for the party chairperson for Dhaka-12.

Earlier on December 21, Dinajpur district Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Tamiz Uddin Ahmed also filed his nomination for Dinajpur-3.

Tarique Rahman, also BNP senior joint secretary general, registered himself from Bogra-7 to contest a parliamentary election for the first time. He also submitted nomination on behalf of his mother for Bogra-6. Tarique's younger brother Arafat Rahman accompanied him at the time.

Khaleda was also registered for Barisal sadar as local leaders led by Barisal city Mayor Mujibur Rahman Sarwar submitted her nomination paper to the returning officer.

Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar submitted his nomination for Panchagarh-1 constituency while local leaders submitted nomination of former finance minister M Saifur Rahman for Sylhet-1.

Former lawmaker Mahbubuddin Ahmad yesterday submitted nomination for Dhaka-9, Nasir Uddin Pintu for Dhaka-8, Salahuddin Ahmad for Dhaka-4, Mirza Abbas for Dhaka-6, and Quamrul Islam for Dhaka-5.

Hundreds of party leaders and workers brought out processions to accompany their leaders.

Meanwhile, two factions of the BNP locked in a clash yesterday over submission of nomination papers for Sylhet-3 constituency by former lawmaker Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury and Juba Dal leader Abdul Qaiyum Chowdhury.

According to sources, the party high-ups do not want to give its rebel leaders, who had sought party nomination for the upcoming election, any chance to contest as independent candidates or leave the party.

BNP leaders and activists from Kushtia yesterday staged demonstration in front of Hawa Bhaban against its former lawmaker Reza Ahmad Bachchu Mollah while a group of workers from Noakhali brought out a procession chanting slogans against their former lawmaker Joynal Abedin Farukh.

Kabir Hossain, who recently left the BNP and joined Liberal Democratic Party and left it again for BNP ticket, failed to get party nomination and is now trying to get the 14-party alliance's ticket for Rajshahi-2 constituency. The BNP high command nominated Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu as its candidate in the parliamentary seat.

A good number of BNP leaders, who apprehended that they would not get party tickets, are submitting nomination papers as independent candidates. The party high command is busy sitting with the dissident leaders to manage the situation.

Rebel BNP leaders Nabiullah Nabi filed nomination paper as independent candidate for Dhaka-4 despite a meeting with alliance leader Khaleda Zia recently.

Dissident leaders of Narayanganj also submitted nomination papers at least in three of the five parliamentary seats there.

Taimur Alam Khandaker, Narayanganj district BNP general secretary, Nuruzzaman Khan, Rupganj upazila BNP general secretary, and Mahfuzur Rahman, organising secretary of Rupganj upazila BNP, submitted nomination papers for Narayanganj-1.

Former lawmaker Ataur Rahman Angur and his brother Badruzzaman Khasru, secretary of small and cottage industry affairs of the party, filed nominations for Narayanganj-2 while Safar Ali Bhuiyan, Monirul Alam Sentu, Gazi Ismail Hossain and SM Nurul Islam filed nominations against party nominee former lawmaker Muhammad Giasuddin for Narayanganj-4.

Meanwhile, supporters of former lawmaker Salimul Haque Kamal staged demonstration against Nitai Ray Chowdhury who won the party ticket for Magura-1. The aggrieved workers even declared Nitai unwanted in the area and burnt his effigy.

Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papia, former central leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, filed nomination for Chapainawabganj-2 and announced that she will not withdraw nomination paper even if the party does not nominate her.

Former state minister Mosharraf Hossain Shahjahan already filed nomination paper and declared alliance leader Naziur Rahman Manjur unwanted in Bhola-1. Naziur, meanwhile, claimed himself as an alliance candidate for the next election and filed his nomination paper.