NCP begins election march today; top leaders to also join alliance programmes

Ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the referendum, the National Citizen Party (NCP) will hold an 11-day march across 24 districts of the country, beginning today. The programme will continue until 5 February. At the same time, the party's top leaders will also take part in the campaign of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 10-party alliance.

The announcement of the election march was made Friday night at the party office by spokesperson Asif Mahmud. National Jubo Shakti convener Tarikul Islam has been appointed coordinator of the march. During the march, NCP's referendum ambassadors will play a role at the local level in 270 constituencies. To this end, NCP has already announced referendum candidates in 238 constituencies.

Meanwhile, the party unveiled its election theme song yesterday.

Earlier, from the very first day of election campaigning, NCP convener Nahid Islam and other senior leaders were seen attending various Jamaat-e-Islami rallies. Last Thursday in Mirpur, Dhaka, Nahid Islam joined a Jamaat rally; on Friday, Sarjis Alam in Panchagarh and Akhtar Hossain in Rangpur also participated in rallies addressed by the Jamaat ameer.

On the same day, Asif Mahmud, chair of NCP's election management committee, took part in a Jamaat cultural programme in the Dhaka-10 constituency in Dhanmondi.

Several NCP leaders said their march is purely an NCP programme. However, beyond this, their leaders will also participate in alliance programmes. Likewise, local leaders of other alliance parties may join the NCP march. "We will invite everyone," they said.

Chief coordinator of the election march and National Jubo Shakti convener Tarikul Islam said the march would begin at 11pm on 25 January and would be carried out nationwide, concluding with a grand rally in Dhaka. Through this programme, people will be informed about what the referendum is and why voting "yes" is necessary.

He added that the programme would centre on three issues: reform, good governance and sovereignty. Wayside meetings will be held across the country, beyond the party's 30 constituencies.

According to NCP's announced schedule, the election march will formally begin at 11pm on 25 January from the party's central office at Bangla Motor in the capital. Starting with Chattogram division, the programme will be observed sequentially across districts and divisions through public rallies, wayside meetings and visits to the graves of martyrs.

Chattogram and southern region

On the morning of 26 January, the formal activities of the march will begin in Chattogram with a visit to the grave of Shaheed Wasim. On the same day, wayside meetings will be held in Chattogram city, a public rally in Chandgaon, and another public rally in Lakshmipur.

The visiting leaders will then stay overnight in Hatiya, Noakhali. On 27 January, after a public rally in Hatiya, a wayside meeting will be held in Comilla city in the evening. The following day, 28 January, a public rally is scheduled in Debidwar, Comilla, followed by another public rally in Brahmanbaria in the afternoon.

North-east and central region

On 29 January, after a public rally in Moulvibazar, a wayside meeting will be held in Sylhet. On 30 January, public rallies will be held in Narsingdi and Bhaluka in Mymensingh, along with a wayside meeting in Mymensingh city. The next day, 31 January, public rallies are scheduled in Tangail and Sirajganj.

March in the northern region

On the morning of 1 February, the northern programme will begin with a visit to the grave of Shaheed Abu Saeed in Pirganj, Rangpur. On that day, a series of public rallies and wayside meetings will be held in Rangpur, Kurigram and Rangpur city, followed by an overnight stay in Panchagarh.

On 2 February, after public rallies in Panchagarh and Dinajpur, the march will reach Natore. On 3 February, a public rally will be held in Natore and a wayside meeting in Rajshahi.

South-west and concluding programme

On 4 February, a wayside meeting will be held in Khulna, a public rally in Pirojpur, and another wayside meeting in Barishal. Finally, on 5 February, after a public rally in Narayanganj, the election march will conclude with a public rally in Dhaka in the afternoon.

NCP leaders said that through this election march they will present to the public the need for state reform, establishment of good governance, and voting "yes" in the referendum. They also claimed that the programme would add a new dimension to national politics ahead of the upcoming election.

NCP launches theme song for the election

NCP has unveiled its theme song for the upcoming election. The song was played yesterday at an event titled "Launching the election theme song by laying out mats" at Shahbagh in the capital. NCP spokesperson and chair of the party's election management committee, Asif Mahmud, was present at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Asif Mahmud said they chose to launch the theme song from the place where they were born and raised. "We did not go to a five-star hotel to organise this event," he said.

He added that the party wants active participation of ordinary people in all its programmes. With that objective in mind, the event was organised in a simple setting so that everyone could take part easily.

The event was also attended by NCP central committee joint convener Munira Sharmin, National Jubo Shakti convener Tarikul Islam, and leaders and activists of the party's various affiliated organisations.