The National Citizen Party (NCP) says it will announce within days how many parliamentary seats it will contest as part of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance in the upcoming national election, according to party convener Nahid Islam.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday after a meeting with the European Union’s election observation delegation at a hotel in the capital, Nahid said clarity on the NCP’s share of seats was expected by Sunday or Monday.
“We hope that by tomorrow or the day after, we will be able to clearly announce how many seats the NCP will contest within this alliance,” he said.
While final seat distribution among all 11 alliance partners has yet to be completed, Nahid said the party would soon provide certainty, at least regarding its own position. He added that discussions on seat-sharing were ongoing but insisted the alliance was electorally prepared.
Nahid said no political party or alliance had yet fully entered the competitive phase of campaigning but claimed the Jamaat–NCP alliance was comparatively ahead of others. He said the alliance had already begun public engagement through neighbourhood visits, gatherings in public spaces and outreach at mosques, while most internal preparations had been completed.
Describing Jamaat-e-Islami as a disciplined organisation, Nahid said the NCP had also largely finalised its internal decisions on candidates and constituencies.
“Once the formal announcement is made, there will be no major challenges left,” he said. “Even if there has been some delay, it will not significantly affect our overall election preparations.”
Nahid also raised concerns about what he described as unequal treatment in the electoral environment, warning that special facilities or protocols for any political party could undermine the level playing field.
“This sends a signal through various levels of the administration and may create an uneven situation in the electoral field,” he said.
He further alleged bias in sections of the mainstream media, claiming that targeted negative and false reports had been published against the NCP. Nahid said these concerns had been conveyed to the Election Commission and would continue to be raised.
On the nomination process, he questioned what he described as inconsistencies in decisions on the nomination papers of loan defaulters, urging the Election Commission to enforce the law strictly and uniformly.
He also called for firm action against violations of the election code of conduct, including restrictions on the use of posters during campaigning.
Expressing concern over election security, Nahid said recent incidents involving shootings and killings had created fear among candidates and party activists. While acknowledging that some security measures had been taken, he said unresolved cases, including the killings of Osman Sharif and Osman Hadi, continued to fuel anxiety on the ground.
Despite the challenges, Nahid said the NCP would continue its field-level activities and intensify campaigning after January 21, when formal electioneering begins. He stressed that maintaining law and order during the election period remains the responsibility of the government and the Election Commission.
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