Tasnim Jara, Senior Joint Member Secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has stepped down from the party and announced that she will contest the upcoming parliamentary elections from the Dhaka-9 constituency as an independent candidate, calling on voters to support her decision and take part in a signature campaign required to validate her nomination.
In an open letter addressed to residents of Khilgaon, Sabujbag and Mugda on her verified Facebook page, Tasnim Jara said she had initially planned to contest the polls under the banner of a political party but was forced to change course due to the “practical context.”
Jara’s sudden announcement follows a discord within the NCP over forming alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami.
Reaffirming her commitment to build a new political culture, she said she would now enter the race independently.
“I promised to fight for you and to work towards a new kind of politics. Whatever the situation, I am determined to keep that promise,” she wrote, announcing her decision to contest as an independent candidate from Dhaka-9.
Acknowledging the challenges of running without party backing, Tasnim Jara noted that independent candidates lack organisational support, local offices and institutional access to the administration. “My only hope is you,” she told voters, appealing for their support based on her honesty, dedication and resolve to bring change.
As part of the nomination process, she said she must collect the signatures of 4,693 registered voters of the Dhaka-9 constituency, as required by election law. She announced the launch of a signature collection drive starting from Thursday and urged residents to come forward as volunteers or provide space to facilitate the campaign, noting that collecting such a large number of signatures in a short time would be impossible without public participation.
Tasnim Jara also addressed donors who had contributed to her recent crowdfunding campaign. In a rare move, she offered to refund donations to anyone who disagrees with her decision to contest the election as an independent candidate. She said donors who contributed through bKash could apply for refunds by submitting their transaction details through a designated form, while those who donated via bank transfers would be informed separately about the refund process.
Signing off the letter as “your daughter,” Tasnim Jara called on voters to stand by her in what she described as a difficult but principled political choice, stressing that her campaign now rests entirely on public trust and support.