Jamaat changes its decision on upazila polls

Bangladeshi Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami has backtracked from its initial decision to contest the upcoming upazila parishad elections. After signaling its grassroots units to field candidates, Jamaat’s central leadership has now instructed them to withdraw their nominations. The party cites the “controlled” nature of the election, with opposition parties having little chance of success, as the primary reason behind this reversal. Jamaat’s decision comes after other opposition parties, including BNP, also announced a boycott of the upazila polls. The shift in Jamaat’s stance highlights the increasingly challenging political environment for the party. (photo/jamaatlogo)