Tasnim Jara falls short in Dhaka-9 race

She finishes behind the BNP and NCP candidates in Thursday’s vote

Tasnim Jara, who left the National Citizen Party (NCP) to run independently in Dhaka-9, has finished third in the constituency.

Official results announced by the returning officer show BNP candidate Habibur Rashid Habib winning the seat with 111,212 votes.

Mohammad Javed Mia of the NCP, now part of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, came second with 53,460 votes.

Jara, who ran with the football symbol, bagged 44,684 votes.

The Dhaka-9 constituency includes Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, Mugda and Manda.

Jara resigned from her post as the NCP’s senior joint member secretary on Dec 27 last year, citing disagreement over the party’s decision to join the Jamaat-led alliance. She subsequently entered the race as an independent candidate.

Her nomination was initially rejected over discrepancies in the required voter endorsement list but was reinstated after she successfully appealed to the Election Commission on Jan 10.