NCP applies for EC reg tomorrow

Each office bearer, including the president and general secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP), will be allowed to serve a maximum of two terms in their lifetime in either post, according to the approved draft charter adopted at the party's sixth general meeting yesterday.

The charter further states that if the party is voted into power, its chief will not be eligible to become the prime minister.

The NCP will apply for registration with the Election Commission tomorrow, as per a unanimous decision taken at the meeting. Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari, Joint Convener Khaled Saifullah, and Joint Member Secretary Zahirul Islam Musa have been assigned to oversee all related communications.

As per the charter, the president and general secretary will be elected directly by councillors from across the country and will remain accountable to a newly formed Political Council.

This body will comprise 11 to 15 members -- including at least three women -- with 11 members elected by the National Council. The president and general secretary will join ex officio, while the final two members will be nominated by them.

The National Council, meanwhile, will include members from the central committee, affiliated bodies, five members from each district-level committee, and two from each upazila-level committee. It will be responsible for electing the political council and top leadership, and making urgent decisions when necessary.

The party's central committee will include vice presidents, joint general secretaries, divisional organising secretaries, members of the editorial board, and, in some cases, district presidents. Its tenure will be three years, with the next council session required within 90 days of term completion.

The founding convening committee retains the authority to make amendments to the draft charter, if necessary, before the next council.

The party further resolved to apply for registration with the Election Commission this Sunday.

"We have fulfilled all the criteria required to obtain registration," said Akhter Hossain, the party's member secretary.

Two senior leaders told this newspaper that the party has formed 130 upazila committees and around 30 district committees so far.

At the meeting, the party also condemned what it described as an "ongoing smear campaign" against its women leaders.

                        "We will take legal action against media outlets engaged in such acts through the Press Council. We will also take action against those tarnishing the image of our women leaders on social media, whether from home or abroad," said Akhter, the party's member secretary.