The National Citizen Party (NCP) is contesting in 30 constituencies under an electoral understanding with 10-party electoral alliance including Jamaat-e-Islami. Among the party’s 30 candidates, 26 are highly educated.
Two candidates hold PhD degrees, while 18 have completed master’s (postgraduate) degrees. In addition, two candidates are physicians and four are graduates.
An analysis of the affidavits submitted by candidates to the election commission to contest the 13th parliamentary election revealed these details.
The remaining four NCP candidates have educational qualifications of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) or equivalent. One of them, Abdul Hannan Masud, is currently studying in the third year of an honours (undergraduate) programme at the University of Dhaka.
Only four NCP candidates are over 40 years of age. However, the affidavits of three NCP candidates do not mention their age.
Among the 30 seats allocated to NCP under the electoral understanding, one seat (Moulvibazar-4) is also open to Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis. NCP’s candidate in this constituency is Pritom Das, who is also the party’s only candidate from a minority community.
PhD and postgraduate degrees
Among NCP’s 30 candidates, two hold PhD degrees. They are Atikur Rahman Mujahid of Kurigram-2 and Md Shamim Hamide, the candidate for Pirojpur-3.
There are 18 NCP candidates with postgraduate degrees. Among them are party member secretary Akhter Hossen, chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, and two chief organisers—Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam. Akhter is contesting from Rangpur-4, Patwari from Dhaka-8, Hasnat from Cumilla-4, and Sarjis from Panchagarh-1. The list also includes NCP’s two female candidates—Dilshana Parul and Nabila Tasnid. Parul is contesting from Dhaka-19 and Nabila from Dhaka-20.
There are four candidates with bachelor’s degrees, including NCP convener Md Nahid Islam.
Besides, MBBS degree holder Md Abdul Ahad is NCP’s ‘Shapla Koli’ symbol candidate from Dinajpur-5, while BDS (Dental) degree holder Zahidul Islam is contesting from Mymensingh-11.
According to affidavit information, NCP candidates Sarwar Tushar (Narsingdi-2), Pritom Das (Moulvibazar-4), and SM Saif Mostafiz (Sirajganj-6) have passed HSC.
Average age 34
Of the 30 candidates contesting under the NCP banner, the ages of three are not mentioned in the affidavits (on the election commission website). The average age of the remaining 27 candidates is 34 years.
The oldest among the party’s candidates is SM Zarjis Kadir of Natore-3, aged 64. A former principal of Rajshahi New Degree Government College, he is now also the NCP’s Natore district member secretary.
According to affidavit data, there are three more NCP candidates over 40 years old: Dilshana Parul (Dhaka-19), Sultan Muhammad Zakaria Mazumder (Noakhali-2), and Majedul Islam (Munshiganj-2).
There are 12 candidates aged between 30 and 40, including another female candidate, Nabila Tasnid (Dhaka-20).
The youngest NCP candidates are Nahid Islam, Hasnat Abdullah, and Sarjis Alam, all aged 27. Including them, 10 NCP candidates are under 30. This group also includes party member secretary Akhter Hossen (28).
Businesspersons, consultants dominate professions
Among NCP candidates, eight have listed ‘business’ as their profession. They are Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Hannan Masud, Mahbub Alam (Lakshmipur-1), Nabila Tasnid, Ataullah (Brahmanbaria-3), SM Saif Mostafiz, and Md Fahim Rahman Khan (Netrokona-2). In addition, Atikur Rahman Mujahid, the party’s candidate for Kurigram-2, has mentioned business alongside teaching as his profession.
Four candidates have listed their profession as ‘consultant’. Among them are Dhaka-11 candidate and party convener Nahid Islam; Dhaka-8 candidate Nasiruddin Patwari, who is a ‘marketing consultant’; Mymensingh-11 candidate Zahidul, a ‘freelance consultant’; and Rajbari-2 candidate Jamil Hijazi, whose profession is listed as ‘writer, consultant, and businessman’.
According to affidavit information, two NCP candidates are journalists by profession. They are Abu Sayeed Md Sujauddin, candidate from Bandarban, and Md Zobairul Hasan from Chattogram-8. Dhaka-18 candidate Ariful Islam Adeeb has listed his profession as ‘freelance journalism and business’.
Apart from these, one NCP candidate has listed ‘development worker’ as his profession. Another has written ‘agriculture’, one has written ‘banking’. There is also one doctor, one writer, two lawyers, two teachers, one teacher and researcher, one retired professor, and another candidate who has listed his profession as ‘service’.
Zakaria leads in annual income, Nabila in assets
Among NCP’s 30 candidates, Ashraf Uddin Mahdi of Brahmanbaria-2 has the lowest annual income. His annual income is Tk 326,667. He is a teacher by profession.
According to affidavit information, the highest annual income among NCP candidates belongs to Sultan Mohammed Zakaria Mazumder of Noakhali-2, who earns Tk 5 million a year. His profession is teaching and research.
The wealthiest NCP candidate in terms of assets is Nabila Tasnid of Dhaka-20. The value of her movable and immovable assets is about Tk 38 million. In addition, she owns 40 bhori of gold, the value of which is not mentioned in the affidavit.
Second in terms of movable and immovable assets is Majedul Islam, the candidate from Munshiganj-2, whose assets are valued over at Tk 17.5 million.
Retired professor Zargis Kadir of Natore-3 has assets worth over Tk 13.7 million. Another candidate with assets exceeding Tk 10 million is Mahbub Alam of Lakshmipur-1. A businessman by profession, Mahbub owns assets worth Tk 10.05 million. Next is ‘businessman’ Abdul Hannan Masud, the candidate from Noakhali-6, with assets valued at about Tk 9.84 million.
In terms of assets, the ‘poorest’ among NCP candidates is Sarwar Tushar of Narsingdi-2. According to his affidavit, his total assets amount to Tk 300,000.