National Citizens Party Convener and Dhaka-11 candidate Nahid Islam has said his 11-party alliance is confident of repeating the 5 August outcome in the parliamentary election scheduled for 12 February.
Speaking as the chair at an election rally at the DIT Project playground in Badda on Sunday morning, he said the alliance’s platform centres on ensuring voter security, ending land grabbing and narrowing economic inequality.
“Just as we succeeded on 5 August, we will succeed on 12 February,” he said, adding that the alliance would return victorious and ensure the safety of women and general voters.
NCP leader said Badda and Vatara were under acute economic strain, with about 70 per cent of residents dependent on the informal economy, mainly small traders and day labourers.
Nahid also said that limited job opportunities had pushed educated unemployment in the area to between 8 and 10 per cent.
He also pointed to gaps in healthcare and education, saying the constituency lacks a government hospital and has few state-run educational institutions, forcing residents to rely on private facilities.
Chronic infrastructure failures have worsened the situation, he said, noting that around 60 per cent of roads go under water during the monsoon as nearly 70 per cent of the area lacks a planned drainage system.
Describing political land grabbing as the main crisis in Dhaka-11, he alleged that illegal occupation of khas land and water bodies had left hundreds of families destitute.
He further alleged that before 5 August, leaders of the two major political parties had maintained a tacit understanding to protect business interests, with proceeds from seized land often channelled to individuals living abroad.
Calling the election a turning point, he said 12 February offered an opportunity to defeat land grabbers, extortionists, terrorists and loan defaulters.
He said that, if elected, his administration would move to reduce economic inequality and begin returning illegally seized land to affected residents.
