NCP candidates turn to Facebook crowdfunding to finance election campaigns, Amjanatar Dal follows

Several candidates of the National Citizen Party (NCP) have turned to public crowdfunding through Facebook to meet election expenses, publicly sharing their bKash, Nagad and bank account details and appealing to voters for financial support, an approach rarely seen in Bangladesh's electoral politics.

Among them are Dr Tasnim Jara, the NCP candidate for Dhaka-9; Dr Tajnuba Jabeen, contesting from Dhaka-17; and Dilshana Parul, the party's candidate in Sirajganj-3. Their appeals have drawn notable public responses, with some candidates reporting significant donations within hours.

Separately, Mohammad Tarek Rahman, chief of the recently registered political party Amjanatar Dal, has also sought financial support from party sympathisers through Facebook, sharing mobile financial service (MFS) and bank account details for crowdfunding.

Public appeals for campaign donations through social media are largely unprecedented in parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. While the NCP previously experimented with crowdfunding after its formation as a political party, such transparent, candidate-led fundraising has not been common. In the past, parties have occasionally sought public financial assistance during extraordinary circumstances, including when the late Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad faced fines and imprisonment following court verdicts.

On Monday night at around 9pm, Dr Tasnim Jara posted a fundraising appeal on Facebook, sharing her bKash, Nagad and personal bank account details to cover campaign costs. In her post, she noted that Dhaka-9 has approximately 470,000 voters and that, under Election Commission rules, she is allowed to spend up to Tk46,93,580 on her campaign.

"I want to raise this amount from you," she wrote, adding that the accounts were newly opened and that she would publicly disclose, with evidence, "every taka received and every taka spent" to ensure full transparency.

In a follow-up post this afternoon (23 December), she said supporters had donated Tk23.68 lakh within just 14 hours, more than half of her target. "We are overwhelmed by your unimaginable response and love," she wrote, reiterating that fundraising would stop once the target amount is reached.

NCP candidate for Dhaka-17, Dr Tajnuba Jabeen, made a similar appeal at around 11:20pm on Monday. Urging small contributions from a large number of people, she wrote, "Whatever you can donate, even a very small amount, matters to me. The maximum donation should be Tk25,000."

She disclosed that a well-wisher had already sent Tk1 lakh, thanked the donor, and clarified her position: "I want election donations from everyone, not a large amount from one person." Emphasising the broader political message, she added that collective small donations could help curb the use of black money in elections. "If we can do this together, many others will follow," she wrote.

Earlier that evening, at around 7pm, Sirajganj-3 candidate Dilshana Parul also sought public donations through Facebook. She posted a campaign poster featuring her bKash number, appealing for support in the name of ethical politics. "I want my MP to be elected with my own money, even if it is Tk10," the poster read, adding: "Your donation is the foundation of just politics. Not black money, but people's power."

At the same time, Amjanatar Dal chief Mohammad Tarek Rahman appealed to supporters for financial contributions, sharing his bKash, Nagad and bank account details. In his Facebook post, he wrote: "We are not seeking support from everyone. We are requesting sponsorship from those who believe in our party's ideals and activities to help us move our work forward."

The growing use of public crowdfunding by candidates has sparked discussion about transparency, political financing and the potential for reducing the influence of illicit money in Bangladesh's electoral process.