Dr Tasnim Jara, a former senior leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and aspiring independent candidate for the Dhaka-9 constituency, has announced plans to file a formal appeal after her nomination papers were rejected by election authorities.

The rejection was announced on Saturday by Dhaka's returning officer, Deputy Commissioner Md Rezaul Karim, following the verification of nomination submissions for the upcoming parliamentary election.

Dispute regarding voter signature verification

According to Bangladesh's election rules, independent candidates must submit verified signatures from at least one percent of registered voters in their constituency. Dr Jara told reporters she had submitted more than the required number of signatures, by about 200.

According to her account, election officials randomly selected ten people from the submitted list for verification. Eight of them provided accurate information, but two were not registered voters in Dhaka-9, despite believing they were.

Dr Jara stated that one of the individuals lives in Khilgaon, which administratively overlaps the Dhaka-9 and Dhaka-11 constituencies, and had assumed they were registered in Dhaka-9. She also stated that the individual later checked the Election Commission's website but was unable to locate their voter number.

In the second case, she stated that the individual's national identity card listed an address in Dhaka-9, but Election Commission records indicated a different constituency registration.

"There was no practical way for them to know that they were not registered voters in Dhaka-9," Dr Jara stated, claiming that the discrepancies were unintentional and administrative in nature.

Appeal processes are currently underway

Dr Jara confirmed at the divisional commissioner's office in Segunbagicha that she has filed an appeal against the returning officer's decision.

"We have already started the appeal process," she told journalists, hoping that the decision would be reconsidered.

Break from the NCP and independent candidature

Dr Jara's nomination was rejected following her resignation from the National Citizen Party, where she had served as senior joint secretary. On December 27, she announced her decision to run as an independent candidate, citing her desire to promote a new political culture.

"I have decided not to run as a candidate for any particular party or alliance," she said in a statement posted on her official Facebook page. "Whatever the circumstances, I am determined to keep that promise."

Her departure came amid internal NCP discussions about forming an alliance with the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which has reportedly caused party divisions.

NCP Joint Member Secretary Mushfiq Us Salehin confirmed her resignation, stating that Dr Jara submitted it to party convenor Nahid Islam on the same day.

Fundraising and internal party conflicts

Following her decision to run independently, Dr Jara announced that she would refund supporters who had contributed to her previous campaign fundraising as an NCP candidate. She stated that refunds would be processed following verification of transaction details.

She previously stated that she had raised more than Tk23 lakh within 14 hours of launching a donation drive for her campaign.

Meanwhile, tensions within the NCP have risen. At least 30 party leaders have reportedly written to the party convenor, opposing any electoral alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. On December 25, the NCP executive committee discussed the possibility of seat-sharing arrangements, but no final decision was made.

Dr Jara announced on December 6 that she would run as an NCP candidate in the next national election from Dhaka-9 before officially leaving the party later that month.

As the appeal process moves forward, the relevant election authorities will make the final decision on her eligibility to run as an independent candidate.