Tasnim Jara, the senior joint member secretary of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has resigned from her position and dismissed speculation that she might join the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). She confirmed on Sunday, December 28, that there is no possibility of her joining the BNP. The announcement followed her earlier statement on Saturday through her verified Facebook page, where she declared her intention to contest the upcoming election as an independent candidate. To qualify as an independent candidate, Jara has begun collecting signatures from one percent of voters in her constituency, Dhaka-9, which includes Khilgaon, Sabujbagh, Mugda, and Manda areas. The constituency has a total of 469,300 registered voters, requiring her to gather 4,693 signatures. The signature collection drive began on Sunday morning and reportedly received a strong response. According to the Representation of the People Order, independent candidates must submit a list of supporting voters’ signatures along with their nomination papers. The deadline for submitting nomination papers for the 13th National Parliamentary Election is Monday, leaving Jara limited time to complete the process.