Mahfuj Alam won't contest election

Mahfuj Alam, who resigned from his post as Information Adviser to the interim government, has said that he will not contest the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election.

Although a nomination paper was collected on his behalf yesterday, Sunday, for the Lakshmipur-1 (Ramganj) constituency, he did not submit it on the final day for submission, today, Monday.

Mahfuj Alam shared this information with Prothom Alo this afternoon. He became an adviser to the interim government as a representative of the young leaders who led last year’s mass uprising.

With the national parliamentary election approaching, he submitted his resignation letter to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on 10 December.

Mahfuj Alam played a frontline role in shaping the policies and programmes of the July mass uprising. His fellow activists in the movement formed the National Citizen Party (NCP) in February this year.

Although Mahfuj initially had influence within the party, it later declined. He has also been seen posting criticism of Jamaat-e-Islami on Facebook at various times. There had also been speculation that Mahfuj would join the BNP and contest the election under the party’s “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol.

Most recently, after the formal announcement yesterday, Sunday, that the NCP had joined a 10-party electoral alliance led by Jamaat and like-minded parties, Mahfuj wrote on Facebook that he had also been offered a nomination under this alliance.

However, he said he would not be part of the NCP under this arrangement.