NCP Revises Dhaka City Election Strategy, Eyes Patwary for South and Asif for North

The National Citizen Party (NCP) is revising its strategy for the upcoming Dhaka city corporation elections, preparing to contest independently after failing to secure Dhaka South City Corporation from alliance partner Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The party is considering replacing its initially announced Dhaka South mayoral candidate, spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, with chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary.

NCP is preparing to field Asif Mahmud as its mayoral candidate in Dhaka North City Corporation instead. Asif Mahmud and Nasiruddin have already exchanged their voter registration areas.

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan told Ajker Patrika, “The voting areas of Nasiruddin Patwary and mine have been transferred. However, no decision has yet been made on the electoral constituencies.”

Party sources said Jamaat-e-Islami’s decision to retain Dhaka University Central Students’ Union vice-president Sadik Kayem as its candidate for Dhaka South influenced NCP’s revised approach.

NCP had expected Jamaat to support the party’s mayoral candidate in Dhaka South under an alliance arrangement. NCP did not respond favourably after Jamaat decided to nominate its own candidate there, sources said.

Nasiruddin Patwary was previously registered as a voter in the Uttara area under Dhaka North City Corporation. He has recently become a voter in Ward No. 21 of Dhaka South City Corporation.

Asif Mahmud was previously registered as a voter in Dhanmondi under Dhaka South City Corporation. He has since become a voter in the Aftabnagar area of Dhaka North City Corporation.

NCP’s media affairs subcommittee confirmed the voter-area changes on Monday. The party said applications were submitted through the Election Commission’s prescribed Form-13, following necessary legal and administrative procedures. The Election Commission approved the applications after verification and examination of official documents.

Some NCP leaders believe Nasiruddin Patwary has acceptability among Jamaat supporters and voters. Patwary contested the last parliamentary election from the Dhaka-8 constituency and received various forms of support from Jamaat, including campaign workers. Local Jamaat leaders and activists also campaigned for him.

NCP believes fielding Nasiruddin in Dhaka South could help attract a section of Jamaat voters. The party also seeks to use Nasiruddin’s recognition among young voters that has emerged since July.

An unnamed central NCP leader said the voter-area changes were not limited to personal address changes but were linked to the party’s political strategy for the upcoming city corporation elections.

“By bringing Nasiruddin Patwary to the forefront in Dhaka South, an effort is being made to secure support from a section of Jamaat voters,” the leader said.

Asif Mahmud had sought to contest the last parliamentary election from Dhaka-10. He collected an independent nomination form and began campaigning but joined NCP at the last moment. NCP subsequently contested the election as part of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance.

Internal party discussions suggest Asif Mahmud could not contest that election after NCP failed to secure a concession from Jamaat. Party sources said Jamaat’s position is again preventing his candidacy in Dhaka South.

NCP had initially announced Asif Mahmud as its prospective mayoral candidate for Dhaka South. Jamaat later said Sadik Kayem would be its candidate for the same post, triggering negotiations between the two parties over Dhaka South. NCP is now planning to nominate Asif Mahmud in Dhaka North after failing to obtain the concession it sought, sources said.

Opposition alliance preparing for separate contests

Jamaat, NCP and other parties in the opposition alliance are making final preparations to contest local government elections independently, as previously announced. The parties view the local elections as an opportunity to assess their organisational strength.

Leaders of Jamaat, NCP and other alliance partners said they had maintained from the outset that they would contest the city corporation elections separately. They said independent contests would not alter opposition unity in street-based political activities.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar told Ajker Patrika, “This issue was discussed within the alliance earlier. According to the decision, each partner party will contest the election in its own way. We have mutual understanding on all matters. I hope this will remain intact and local elections will not affect this unity.”

AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan Manju said, “We have already given support and the green signal to leaders interested in contesting elections in the two Dhaka city corporations and other local councils. So far, our intention is to participate independently. I do not see any risk of a split in the alliance, although there will be some tension.”