NCP to Contest Local Government Elections Independently Asif in Dhaka North, Patwary in South

Staff Reporter:

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has decided to contest the upcoming City Corporation and local government elections independently, opting not to form an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, a key partner in the 11-party alliance. The party has finalized its mayoral candidates for five major city corporations, with formal announcements expected shortly.

Under the revised strategy, NCP Spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan will contest for the mayoral seat in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Meanwhile, the party’s Chief Coordinator, Nasiruddin Patwary, will run in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

This marks a strategic shift from the party’s initial lineup announced on March 30, which originally placed Ariful Islam Adeeb in Dhaka North and Asif Mahmud in Dhaka South. Internal party surveys and ground-level feedback prompted the management to swap candidates. The assessments highlighted that Nasiruddin Patwary had built a strong political foothold in Dhaka South following his competitive run in the Dhaka-8 constituency during the last general election, whereas Asif Mahmud showed stronger prospects in the North.

To comply with local election regulations requiring candidates to be registered voters in their respective municipalities, both leaders have updated their voter details. Asif Mahmud has transferred his voter registration to the Aftabnagar area under DNCC, while Nasiruddin Patwary has relocated his registration to the Dhaka-8 parliamentary area under DSCC.

In the remaining three city corporations, the NCP’s earlier candidate selections remain unchanged:

• Cumilla: Tariqul Islam, Convener of Jatiya Yubashakti
• Rajshahi: Md. Mobassher Ali, Convener of Rajshahi City NCP
• Sylhet: Abdur Rahman Afzal, Convener of Sylhet City NCP

Leaders of the 11-party alliance agreed during a recent organizational meeting that alliance partners, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, AB Party, and LDP, would field candidates independently for local elections, given the complex nature of local contests.

Despite running separate campaigns, alliance leaders emphasized that their political unity remains intact. The 11-party alliance will continue to conduct joint movements on key national issues, including public utility crises and democratic reforms. Furthermore, central mechanisms will be established to prevent internal conflict among alliance candidates on the ground and to jointly counter any electoral irregularities or government interference.