Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya, has announced that he will not contest the election from the Dhaka-18 constituency.
In a post on his verified Facebook page on Sunday night, he wrote, “I am currently in Bogura. Under special circumstances, I had decided to contest the parliamentary elections from Dhaka-18 and Bogura-2. Dhaka-18 is a vast constituency, comprising seven and a half thanas and around 650,000 voters.”
He added, “Conducting an election here is extremely expensive, which makes it impossible for me to manage. In this context, I have decided to withdraw from contesting in Dhaka-18. I understand that many may feel disappointed with my decision, and I sincerely apologise to them.”