Dr. Tasnim Jara Rejects Offer to Become MP

Dr. Tasnim Jara, a prominent health activist and former leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has announced that she declined an offer to become a Member of Parliament (MP) through the reserved seats for women. She shared this update on Tuesday (April 21) via a post on her verified Facebook profile.

In the post, Dr. Jara wrote, "The nominations for the reserved women's seats of the 13th Parliament were announced today. Many have expressed sadness and sympathy, noting that I will not be in Parliament. I am grateful for your love. I was indeed offered a reserved seat, but I have respectfully declined it."

Explaining her decision, the former NCP leader stated that refusing an opportunity to represent the people's interests in Parliament was not easy. However, she felt compelled to maintain her principles. "At the Consensus Commission, I advocated that reserved women's seats should be filled through direct public votes, not through party nominations. I provided arguments for this, campaigned for it, and even collected your signatures. It is not possible for me to take a different stance after being offered an MP position myself," she explained.

Dr. Jara clarified that her comments were not directed at those currently entering Parliament, acknowledging many as highly qualified individuals. Instead, she focused on the structural flaws of the current system.

"My stance is about the system. Someone who enters Parliament through public votes is accountable to their voters and can speak against their party if necessary. However, someone who enters through a party nomination has no constituency or voters. This isn't a question of personal honesty, but a structural weakness." — Dr. Tasnim Jara

She emphasized that more than half of Bangladesh's population is female, and their representation should be part of a democratic process. "If reserved seats must exist, let them be determined by the people's votes," she added.

Recalling her recent experience in the 2026 General Election, Dr. Jara noted that she contested as an independent candidate for the Dhaka-9 constituency. Despite a brief 19-day campaign without posters or processions and staying within the legal expenditure limits, she received over 44,000 votes.

"We have documented the irregularities that occurred on election day, yet we accepted the results. If I ever enter Parliament, it will be through your votes. It is possible to work for society from outside Parliament, and I will continue to do so," she concluded.