United News of Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday said it is the responsibility of all stakeholders - the government, the Election Commission, and political parties - to ensure that the election scheduled for February 12 is held in a ‘fair and festive’ atmosphere. “I seek the cooperation of all political parties in this regard,” he said when a delegation of National Citizen Party (NCP) met him at the state guesthouse Jamuna in the evening. NCP Convener Nahid Islam, Central Election Steering Committee Chairman Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Secretary Monira Sharmin, and Head of the Legal Assistance Subcommittee Zahirul Islam Musa. Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for ICT Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb were present at the meeting. During the meeting, the NCP leaders shared their observations and raised various concerns regarding the election. NCP delegation to meet CA Prof Yunus this afternoon They said NCP leaders and activists from all walks of life are campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing. They also drew the Chief Adviser’s attention to several election-related issues and urged the government to be vocal in ensuring a level playing field in the polls.

National Citizen Party (NCP) on Monday announced the launch of a centrally managed crowdfunding initiative ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election, seeking financial support directly from the public. Speaking at a press conference at the party’s temporary office in Banglamotor, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said the party does not want to rely on money from loan defaulters or business groups to enter parliament. “We do not want to go to parliament with money from loan defaulters or businessmen. We want to go to parliament with the people’s money and remain accountable to the people,” Asif said. He said although NCP candidates had earlier raised election funds individually, the party has now decided to introduce a centralised crowdfunding system through a designated website. Donors will be able to contribute either to the party as a whole or to individual candidates. Asif said contributions will start from a minimum of Tk 10, allowing people to donate according to their capacity. “Those who can afford more may give more, but we have no intention of taking large sums from a single individual. We want broader public participation.” The funds would be disclosed to the public through annual audits. “Unlike the BNP, we will not contest elections with thousands of crores of taka from loan defaulters. We have only a handful of wealthy candidates. Our core principle is accountability,” Asif added. When asked whether the donated funds would be returned if the NCP ultimately decides not to take part in the election, Asif declined to comment, saying no final decision has been made yet. “We wanted to bring the Election Commission under accountability. If that does not happen, we will take a considered decision.” Rejecting allegations of corruption against him, Asif challenged his accusers to prove their claims. “If anyone can prove that I am corrupt, I will accept whatever punishment is imposed.” If, he added, corruption by a powerful party like the Awami League can come to light, proving allegations against him would not be difficult if they were true. Asif also warned that what he described as ‘false’ corruption allegations could be brought against NCP leaders in the coming days and urged party members to remain cautious.

A four-member delegation of the National Citizen Party (NCP) is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday afternoon. In a media release, the NCP said the meeting will take place at 5:00pm at the State Guest House Jamuna. The delegation, led by NCP Convener Nahid Islam, will include Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, chairman of the party’s Election Steering Committee, Secretary Monira Sharmin, and Advocate Zahirul Islam Musa, head of the committee’s legal support subcommittee. According to the party, discussions during the meeting will focus on what it described as the Election Commission’s partisan conduct and the overall current election situation. Earlier on Sunday night, Asif Mahmud told an emergency press conference that the NCP would reconsider whether to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election due to the Election Commission’s alleged biased behaviour. NCP reconsiders election participation over ‘one-sided’ EC decisions: Asif Mahmud On the same day, the Election Commission issued show-cause notices to Nahid Islam and Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari over alleged violations of the electoral code of conduct. The NCP, however, claimed that Nahid and Nasir were campaigning for the referendum and that such activities do not constitute a breach of election rules.

National Citizen Party (NCP) reconsiders whether it should participate in the upcoming national election, citing what it described as one-sided decisions by the Election Commission (EC), party spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said on Sunday (January 18, 2026). Speaking at an emergency press conference at the party’s makeshift office at Banglamotor on the final day of appeal hearings, Asif said the prevailing situation has prompted the party to reassess its electoral stance. “Given the current circumstances, we believe the time has come to reconsider whether we should take part in this national election. We will review the matter of participating or not participating in the election," he said.  Asif, who is also the chairman of NCP’s central election management committee, said no final decision has been taken yet. NCP accuses EC officials of bias ahead of election The issue will be discussed at the party’s political council and also within its 10-party alliance, after which the party will announce its position, Asif said.  He alleged that the Election Commission has lost public confidence, saying it failed to gain the trust of political parties and voters required to conduct a credible election. “If the electoral process continues in this manner, we fear the EC will not be able to deliver a free and fair election in Bangladesh.” Asif criticised the EC for what he termed unilateral decisions allowing candidates with dual citizenship and loan defaulters to contest the polls, claiming such moves undermine electoral integrity. He also alleged that incidents outside the EC on the final day of appeal hearings were orchestrated, accusing the student wing of a major political party of creating a 'mob' situation. “On the last day of appeals, there is a mob outside, while their secretary general is meeting the commission inside. These are all staged dramas.” Asif said NCP will continue its legal battle and consult its alliance partners before announcing further programmes. Meanwhile, despite expressing uncertainty over participation in the election, NCP on the same day announced the formation of a political liaison sub-committee to accelerate the work of its central election management committee ahead of the national election. Read more: EC revokes candidacy of BNP’s Munshi, upholds NCP’s Hasnat in Cumilla-4 The ten-member committee has been formed with Akram Hossain as its head and Faisal Mahmud as secretary, tasked with strengthening coordination and boosting the party’s election-related activities.

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday (January 17, 2026) cancelled the candidacy of BNP’s Monzurul Ahsan Munshi and upheld that of National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Abul Hasnat, popularly known as Hasnat Abdullah, in Cumilla-4. The decision came after the EC, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, heard appeal petitions filed by both candidates against each other. The orders were issued in the afternoon. The EC accepted the appeal filed by Hasnat canceling the candidature of Monzurul Ahsan, but turned down the appeal filed by Monzurul Ahsan, declaring the candidacy of Hasnat valid in the upcoming national election scheduled for February-12. Free, fearless media vital to Bangladesh democracy: Journalists Munshi, in his petition, alleged that Hasnat did not mention the sources of his income rightly in the affidavit submitted with the nomination paper. Hasnat in his appeal alleged that Munshi is a loan defaulter and concealed the information in the nomination paper. The EC that acts the electoral appeal tribunal started hearing of the appeal on Saturday last (January 10) and will dispose of a total of 645 petitions by Sunday (January 18). The EC on Saturday last (January 10) started hearing of the appeal petitions filed by aggrieved persons and organisations against the decisions of the returning officers over the acceptance and cancellations of nomination papers during the scrutiny. According to the EC, a total of 2,568 aspirants submitted nomination papers to contest the upcoming national election from the country’s 300 constituencies by the December 29 deadline. Read more: NCP accuses EC officials of bias ahead of election After scrutiny, returning officers declared 1,842 nomination papers valid and rejected 723 others.

Independent candidate Tasnim Jara has regained the validity of her nomination for the Dhaka-9 constituency in the 13th national parliamentary election after her appeal was accepted by the Election Commission on Saturday. Her nomination was earlier declared invalid during the preliminary scrutiny phase. However, following a hearing on appeals seeking validation of candidacies at the Election Commission office in Agargaon, Jara’s nomination was reinstated, clearing the way for her to contest the election as an independent candidate. Read More:  Tasnim Jara calls for easier election process for independent candidates Reacting immediately after the decision, Jara thanked the Election Commission for accepting her appeal. She also expressed gratitude to supporters at home and abroad who stood by her over the past few days. Jara said she has initially expressed her intention to contest the election with the football as her electoral symbol, adding that the final decision on the symbol rests with the Commission. Earlier, on January 3, the district returning officer announced after scrutiny that discrepancies were found in the signatures of voters supporting Jara’s nomination, which is mandatory for independent candidates. Of the signatures verified, two were found not to be voters of the Dhaka-9 constituency. Citing electoral rules, the returning officer had declared her nomination invalid. Commenting on the issue at the time, Jara said many voters are unaware of their voter numbers or specific constituencies, and technical problems in the Commission’s voter verification systems led to the discrepancies. She had then announced her decision to appeal against the ruling. Following the appeal hearing, Jara ultimately regained the validity of her candidacy for the Dhaka-9 seat. Read More: Tasnim Jara’s Dhaka-9 nomination scrapped, plans to appeal Initially, she was set to contest the election as a candidate of the National Citizen Party (NCP). However, after the party joined an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami and like-minded groups, Jara resigned from the party and announced her decision to run as an independent candidate. In Dhaka-9, Jara will face BNP candidate Habibur Rashid Habib and NCP candidate Javed Rasin.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Monday (January 05, 2026) said the entire incident involving Tahrima Jannat Surovi, popularly known as a “July warrior”, was false and fabricated. Tahrima, who was granted bail and released from jail on Monday night, did not receive justice, Nahid said while visiting her residence late at night. “Justice was not served to Tahrima Jannat Surovi. The whole matter was fabricated,” he said, alleging that a section of the media is attempting to defame individuals who were at the forefront of the mass uprising ahead of the upcoming election. The NCP leader said the incident involving Surovi was part of a continued effort to malign such individuals. Read more: Another NCP female leader quits Claiming that vested quarters are involved in destabilising the country and creating anarchy, Nahid urged everyone to remain vigilant. Earlier on Monday morning, police produced Tahrima before a court, seeking a seven-day remand in connection with a case filed by a journalist over alleged abduction and extortion. After the hearing, the court granted a two-day remand. As the news spread, students staged demonstrations protesting the remand order. Later, a revision petition was filed, and the court granted bail to Tahrima on Monday night. She was later released from jail the same night. Read more: NCP secures nomination validity in four Dhaka seats

The nomination paper of Tasnim Jara, an independent candidate and former leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), for the Dhaka-9 constituency was cancelled on Saturday (January 03, 2026). Dhaka’s Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Md Rezaul Karim announced the decision around 11:30am. Read more: Tasnim Jara quits NCP; to contest as independent candidate Talking to reporters, Jara said she would file an appeal with the Election Commission (EC) challenging the cancellation. “The nomination paper I submitted as an independent candidate for Dhaka-9 has not been accepted at this stage. However, we will appeal. I have already started the appeal process,” Jara told journalists at the Divisional Commissioner’s office in city's Segunbagicha. Explaining the grounds for the cancellation, Jara said her nomination was rejected due to discrepancies involving the voter information of two signatories among the required one percent of voters’ signatures for independent candidates. “One voter lives in Khilgaon. Since Khilgaon falls under both Dhaka-9 and Dhaka-11, he was unaware that he was not a voter of Dhaka-9, and there was no way for him to know. He checked the website but could not find his voter number. Based on his NID, he believed he was a Dhaka-9 voter and signed accordingly,” she said Tasnim Jara declares assets worth Tk 19 lakh, annual income Tk 7 lakh In the second case, she said, the address mentioned on the voter’s NID hard copy indicated Dhaka-9, leading the person to believe he was a voter of the constituency. “However, according to Election Commission records, he is not a Dhaka-9 voter, which again was beyond his knowledge,” she said. Describing the cancellation as a challenge in her electoral journey, Jara said she is prepared to face it through the legal process.

Former Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam on Sunday (December 28, 2025) said he will not join the National Citizen Party (NCP) because of its alliance with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. In a post on his verified Facebook account at night, Mahfuj said his respect, affection and friendship for his 'July comrades' remain intact, but he has decided to stay away from the party. “Under the present reality, my respect, affection and friendship for my July comrades will not be erased. But I am not becoming part of the NCP,” he wrote. Mahfuj said he was offered the opportunity to contest the election as a candidate of the Jamaat–NCP alliance, but he was not interested. Read more: NCP joined Jamaat-led alliance to protect ‘July Generation’, says Nahid “Maintaining my long-standing position is far more important to me than becoming a Jamaat–NCP alliance candidate in any constituency in Dhaka,” he said. Raising questions over how far the NCP upholds the ideals of July, Mahfuj wrote that he has long spoken about a new political and economic order, a cultural struggle against fascism, confronting social fascism, reconciliation and building a society based on responsibility and empathy. “These are ideas that my July comrades have repeatedly spoken about from within those two organisations. But did they truly internalise them?” he questioned. He said he made every effort to establish NCP as an independent, broad-based 'big July umbrella', but that attempt failed for various reasons. Describing the current phase of history as a 'cold war' for Bangladesh, Mahfuj said it is wiser at this moment to avoid taking sides and instead remain firm in one’s own principles and positions. “The possibility of an alternative July force has not yet ended. Rather, I will continue to uphold what I have said and the principles I have believed in over the last one and a half years — through political, cultural and intellectual means. If you care to join me, you are most welcome," he said.  Read more: NCP finally joins Jamaat-led alliance, Jamaat Ameer announces new coalition He also said a new political and economic order is both possible and realistic, adding that the rise of an alternative, moderate July force is very close. Speculation had been rife throughout the week about the NCP joining a Jamaat-led alliance. On Sunday afternoon, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman formally announced the new coalition with NCP. In a separate press briefing, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said the decision to join hands with Jamaat and like-minded groups was taken in the interest of broader unity. Meanwhile, opposing the Jamaat alliance, two central NCP leaders — Tasnim Jara and Tajnuva Jabeen — have resigned from the party. Another central committee member, Monira Sharmin, has announced her withdrawal from the election, though she has not formally resigned. Read more: ‘I won’t resign, though NCP deviated from founding goal’: Samantha

National Citizen Party (NCP) joined an alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and other like-minded parties, citing the need for a broader unity to protect the generation that actively participated in the July uprising, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said on Sunday (December 28, 2025). Nahid made the announcement at an urgent press conference held at NCP’s temporary office in the city's Banglamotor in the evening. “We initially intended to contest the election independently and had prepared to field candidates in all 300 constituencies. However, incidents such as the killing of Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the Inqilab Moncho, prompted us to reconsider and take a new decision,” Nahid said. Referring to ongoing conspiracies to disrupt the February elections, he said the main aim of the defeated forces is to destroy the July generation. “To preserve the dreams of the July generation, NCP has joined hands with Jamaat”. Read more: Mahfuj Alam rules out joining NCP over Jamaat alliance Nahid emphasised that the alliance seeks broader unity to reform the country, ensure justice for the July mass killings, and curb hegemony and corruption. “From that perspective, we have joined this alliance to ensure a competitive election.” The decision to ally with Jamaat has sparked mixed reactions within NCP. Central leaders such as Tasnim Jara and Tajnuva Jabeen resigned, while leaders including Samantha Sharmin and Monira Sharmin openly opposed the move. “We have taken the decision based on the majority opinion. The party will continue to operate according to its rules,” Nahid said. When asked how NCP’s ideology aligns with Jamaat, he replied, “For now, the alliance is purely for electoral purposes. Post-election, we will decide whether to move forward together. The primary focus of the current alliance is the 13th national election and referendum.” Regarding seat-sharing, Nahid said, “No final decision has been made yet. We will announce the details at a press conference on Monday.” Earlier in the day, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman, at an urgent press briefing with like-minded parties, announced NCP’s formal entry into the alliance. Besides NCP, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has also joined the coalition. After the July uprising, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JaGaPa) began discussions to field single candidates in all constituencies through seat-sharing arrangements. Read more: ‘I won’t resign, though NCP deviated from founding goal’: Samantha The Bangladesh Development Party later joined the process, forming an eight-party alliance that carried out prolonged joint movements on various demands. With the fresh inclusion of NCP and LDP in the electoral understanding, the number of parties in the Jamaat-led alliance has now risen to ten.