In Chattogram-8 constituency, a ten-party alliance has officially nominated Zobairul Hasan Arif of the National Citizen Party (NCP) as its candidate. However, during a campaign event in Boalkhali’s Phultala on Monday, discontent surfaced among locals, particularly from Ruby Akter, mother of July uprising martyr Omar Bin Nurul Absar. She questioned the nomination of a non-local candidate, saying that local voters prefer someone from their own area.

Ruby Akter emphasized that local votes make up the majority in the constituency and expressed concern that the alliance’s decision could harm local representation. She argued that while the alliance’s vote share might be around 20 percent, local votes account for 80 percent, and the nominated candidate is unfamiliar to residents. NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and candidate Arif tried to reassure her, but she suggested keeping the seat open for both NCP and Jamaat’s candidate Dr. Abu Naser.

The incident highlights growing unease within the alliance as local loyalties and personal networks appear to challenge the coalition’s formal decision.