Rashed Pradhan steps back from election

Rashed Pradhan, spokesperson and vice-president of the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa), has announced he will not contest the upcoming 13th national parliamentary elections, despite submitting nomination forms. He cited the “greater interest of political unity” as the reason for his withdrawal.

Pradhan shared the decision on his verified Facebook page on Thursday afternoon (January 15), following a coalition meeting at the central office of Jamaat-e-Islami.

In his post, he stated that while he will not personally contest, he will campaign in support of a ‘Yes’ vote in the general poll and back coalition-endorsed candidates.

He also appealed to leaders and supporters of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan, and allied parties to maintain mutual respect and refrain from using offensive language toward one another.

Addressing his supporters, Pradhan wrote, “Those who respect me, please do not be disheartened. Our collective compromise is more important than Rashed Pradhan the individual. And those who dislike me, feel free to use your usual ‘sweet’ language.”

Sources say Pradhan had filed nomination forms for Panchagarh-1 and Panchagarh-2 constituencies. However, following coalition requests and the presence of strong candidates—Sarjis Alam in Panchagarh-1 and a Jamaat-e-Islami nominee in Panchagarh-2—he decided to step aside to support unity within the alliance.