Mahfuj prioritises long-standing stance over Jamaat-NCP election ticket

Mahfuj Alam, former information adviser to the interim government, has clarified that he will not be joining the National Citizen Party (NCP) amid the party’s electoral alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami for the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections.

In a Facebook post on Sunday night, Mahfuj Alam said that although he had been offered a candidacy under the NCP-Jamaat pact, he chose not to participate in the alliance.

Several other senior NCP leaders have also distanced themselves from the alliance or publicly opposed it.

Mahfuj Alam, a key figure in the July movement and NCP’s predecessor organizations, emphasised that while he respects his July colleagues, he will remain independent in the current political scenario.

He said, “Rather than becoming a Jamaat-NCP alliance candidate in any constituency in Dhaka, it is more important for me to uphold my long-standing position.”

Mahfuj said he had made sustained efforts to shape the NCP into an independent and broad-based "July umbrella" platform, but those efforts could not be realised due to various constraints.

Meanwhile, a nomination form has been collected on behalf of Mahfuj Alam for Lakshmipur-1 (Ramganj) constituency as an independent candidate.

The form was obtained from the Ramganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Assistant Returning Officer on Sunday afternoon.

Mahfuj Alam’s residence is in Ramganj upazila. During his tenure as an adviser, it was speculated that he would contest from Lakshmipur-1.