Tasnim Zara, senior joint member secretary of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has resigned from the party and announced her decision to contest the 13th national parliamentary election as an independent candidate from the Dhaka-9 constituency. The resignation was confirmed on Saturday evening by NCP senior joint convener Samanta Sharmin.
Samanta Sharmin said Tasnim Zara stepped down on her own decision and that the party did not have an official statement explaining the reasons behind her resignation. Ahead of the election, the NCP had announced candidates for 125 constituencies on December 10, with Tasnim Zara named as the party’s candidate for Dhaka-9, which includes Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, Mugda, and Manda police station areas.
Around 7 pm on Saturday, Tasnim Zara announced her independent candidacy in a Facebook post addressed to voters of Dhaka-9. She wrote that she was born and raised in Khilgaon and had hoped to enter parliament through a political party, but due to the prevailing circumstances, she decided not to contest as a candidate of any party or alliance. She said she remains committed to her promise to fight for voters and to build a new political culture.
In her post, Tasnim Zara said she would face challenges as an independent candidate, including the lack of party infrastructure and organizational support. She appealed directly to voters for support and announced two immediate steps: collecting 4,693 voter signatures required to run as an independent candidate, and arranging refunds for those who had previously donated to her campaign when she was an NCP candidate.
The resignation has triggered discussion within the NCP. Facebook posts made the same night by senior leaders Samanta Sharmin, Nusrat Tabassum, and Dr. Mahmuda Mitu drew attention, with references to principles, vigilance, and political struggle. Nusrat Tabassum is among the 30 NCP leaders who had earlier raised objections to seat-sharing or alliance discussions with Jamaat-e-Islami.
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