Jamaat not to be lenient to NCP in Dhaka’s 2 city corporations

Jamaat-e-Islami is unwilling to concede ground to the National Citizen Party (NCP) in the upcoming mayoral elections for Dhaka's two city corporations.

Although the two parties allied for the national parliamentary election, both are now preparing to field separate mayoral candidates this time. Other partners within the 11-party alliance will also nominate candidates based on their organisational strength.

However, despite competing against each other in local body elections, leaders of these political parties maintain that they will preserve their political unity and conduct joint programmes.

According to relevant sources, a policy decision has been taken by the 11-party alliance to contest all tiers of local government elections independently, not just the two Dhaka city corporations.

This decision reflects the reality that local elections are not conducted under party symbols, as well as local-level candidate selection dynamics.

Nevertheless, if coalition partners reach a local consensus to field a single joint candidate in any specific area, the central leadership will not object.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Friday, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar stated that the 11-party alliance was originally formed around the national parliamentary elections. During a meeting of top leaders from the member parties, it was decided that each entity would contest local government elections independently.

He noted that the NCP has decided to field its own candidates in Dhaka's two cities and that other coalition partners with sufficient organisational capacity are equally free to nominate candidates.

Mia Golam Porwar added that this decision applies to all city corporation elections across the country, not merely Dhaka. Since the elections will not feature party symbols, there is no scope for alliance-based vote-sharing. Voters, he emphasised, will elect qualified candidates based on merit.

The Jamaat leaders indicated that local district and upazila leaders are currently announcing candidates' names. By their estimates, around 70 to 75 per cent of candidate announcements have already been completed. City corporation candidates are also largely finalised, though official announcements have not yet been made.

Nominations for all local government tiers, including city corporations, will be formally announced simultaneously from the party's central headquarters.

According to Jamaat sources, Mohammad Salim Uddin, Ameer of the party's Dhaka City North branch, has been initially nominated as the Mayoral candidate in Dhaka North City Corporation, while Md Abu Shadik (Shadik Kayem), Vice President of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), has been nominated for Dhaka South.

Salim Uddin has already commenced grassroots campaign activities, while Shadik Kayem has also stepped up his outreach efforts.

Meanwhile, NCP sources reveal that party spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain is set to contest in Dhaka North, while Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary will run in Dhaka South. However, the NCP has yet to make an official announcement. It is understood that the NCP is also preparing to field individual candidates across other local government levels.

Another member of the 11-party alliance, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, is likewise preparing to nominate candidates in both Dhaka city corporations. Maulana Hasan Junaid, the party's Publicity Secretary and Media Coordinator, informed Prothom Alo yesterday that they currently have four potential candidates across the two cities, and two final selections will be made following a screening process.

The AB Party will also field candidates in the two Dhaka cities and other city corporations, confirmed party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Manju. Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, he stated that those wishing to contest will receive party endorsement, and candidates will be fielded across other local government levels according to organisational capacity.

However, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), another partner in the 11-party alliance, has not yet finalised its strategy. LDP Acting Secretary General Billal Hossain Miaji told Prothom Alo that the party president and presidium members would discuss the matter before arriving at a decision.

Despite the central directive to field separate candidates, room remains for local-level compromises among coalition partners. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Coordinator of the 11-party alliance and Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, told Prothom Alo yesterday that no centralised seat-sharing agreements will take place for local body elections. Parties will make their own preparations; however, if local units reach mutual understandings, the central leadership will not intervene.

Hamidur Rahman Azad also urged the government and the election commission to promptly announce the schedule for local government elections.

A top NCP leader, speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday evening on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the NCP would contest independently.

The leader noted that in the absence of party symbols, individual candidate appeal would take precedence over party affiliation, meaning local unity would remain largely unaffected at the ballot box.

Jamaat central leaders, however, believe there is limited room for local-level seat sharing, asserting that Jamaat candidates will command an advantage in most areas based on eligibility and public recognition.

Sources from both Jamaat and the NCP emphasised that while they will field separate candidates in local elections, they intend to preserve their overarching political coalition. The parties plan to host joint movement programmes on matters of public interest, including the implementation of the national referendum outcome, as well as ongoing power and gas crises.

Insiders noted that measures will be taken to coordinate among alliance candidates to prevent inter-party friction on the ground. Should there be non-cooperation from the election commission or government authorities, or attempts to exert undue influence in favour of ruling party candidates, the alliance partners will launch unified protests.

Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Halim told Prothom Alo that while electoral consensus will not exist at the local government level, political understanding will remain intact.

According to him, field-level movement programmes will be conducted jointly, and if the ruling party attempts to manipulate the elections, the 11-party alliance will register a united resistance.