NCP asserts readiness, questions fair play
Staff Reporter :
National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Saturday said the Jamaat–NCP alliance has already launched its election campaign, positioning it ahead of other political coalitions, which he claimed are still grappling with internal uncertainty and unresolved disputes over seat allocation.
“The alliance is ready for the election,” Nahid Islam told reporters. “While others remain trapped in ambiguity and disorder, our preparations are complete.”
He was speaking after a meeting with an election observer delegation led by European Union Chief Election Observer Ivars Ijabs at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka.
Asked about negotiations over constituencies, Mr Islam said an official announcement on how many seats the Jamaat–NCP alliance will contest would be made in the coming days. “Internally, everything is done,” he said. “Only the formal announcement remains.”
Beyond campaign preparations, Mr Islam expressed concerns about the broader political environment, saying that mistrust persists among parties over whether a genuinely level playing field exists ahead of the polls.
He alleged that the provision of state facilities and official protocol to a particular political party creates perceptions of administrative partisanship. “When special facilities and protocol are formally extended to one party, it sends a signal across the administration about which side the government favours,” he said. “This undermines the level playing field and risks producing an uneven situation in the future.”
Mr Islam also accused sections of the media of bias, claiming that some mainstream outlets have published “negative or false” reports targeting the NCP. “Our expectation is that equal opportunity is ensured both administratively and in the media,” he said, adding that the issue has been repeatedly raised with both the government and the Election Commission.
On candidate scrutiny, he said a significant number of loan defaulters were initially declared eligible to contest the election, with only a small proportion later disqualified. He urged the Election Commission to adopt stricter enforcement. “Despite the high number, only a few have been excluded,” he said.
“We want tougher action.”
Turning to the international dimension, Mr Islam noted that the European Union plans to deploy a large observer mission to monitor the parliamentary election.
According to him, the EU has emphasised the need for a free, competitive and credible vote to ensure a smooth democratic transfer of power once results are announced, and has sought cooperation from all political parties.
He also raised security concerns, saying the recent killing of Inqilab Moncho convener Sharif Osman Bin Hadi has created fear among candidates. “As the perpetrators have yet to be arrested, insecurity persists,” he said.
The remarks highlight rising tensions in the pre-election period, as emerging alliances assert their readiness while questioning whether political and institutional conditions will allow for a genuinely competitive contest.