Hasnat to contest Cumilla-4 as Jamaat candidate withdraws
Staff Reporter:
National Citizen Party (NCP) southern region chief organiser Hasnat Abdullah will contest the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election from the Cumilla-4 (Debidwar) constituency, following the withdrawal of the Jamaat-e-Islami-nominated candidate, Saiful Islam (Shahid).
The decision comes as part of an electoral understanding between the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami, announced last Sunday when the NCP declared it would contest the parliamentary election in alliance with Jamaat and eight other like-minded parties. Within hours of a press conference held in Dhaka by senior leaders of the alliance, Saiful Islam, secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Cumilla north district unit, confirmed he was stepping aside from the race.
The Cumilla-4 seat encompasses the home constituency of Hasnat Abdullah, making him the alliance’s candidate for the constituency. On 23 December, NCP leaders and activists, accompanied by family members of July martyrs, collected nomination papers on behalf of Hasnat Abdullah. The Jamaat-nominated candidate had also collected papers earlier but later withdrew.
Saiful Islam announced his withdrawal through a Facebook post on Sunday night, writing, “Alhamdulillah. In accordance with the decision of the central organisation, I have withdrawn myself from the election. May Allah grant us the strength to remain steadfast on the path of establishing ‘dwin’ (religion) throughout our lives.”
Speaking about his decision, Saiful Islam said, “I have welcomed the decision taken by the organisation and withdrawn from the election accordingly. I pray to the Almighty for the sacrifices of our workers, who have always stood by me. Even though I am withdrawing from the election, I will continue to stand beside the people of Debidwar at all times.”
He added, “I may not be able to fully meet the love and expectations of the people, but I believe that the organisation’s decision will ultimately bring about positive outcomes.”
The withdrawal of the Jamaat candidate clears the path for Hasnat Abdullah to contest the Cumilla-4 seat as the unified candidate of the NCP-led alliance, reflecting a coordinated strategy among allied parties ahead of the national polls.