Who is Tasnim Jara? Oxford-educated doctor takes on Bangladesh's politics as independent candidate

Tasnim Jara, a 31-year-old, senior former joint member secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP) of Bangladesh, is going to test the Political waters in the upcoming election in Bangladesh. She is part of the new political force that has emerged from the 2024 uprising. 127 million voters are preparing to elect their new government. The two main parties leading the poll are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JIB). The Awami League, which historically had ties to India, has been barred from participating in the election.

Almost two years after the uprising, the emergence of leaders like Tasnim Jara shows that the values which led to the uprising in Bangaldesh has not been hijacked by the majoritarian politics of other nationalist parties. She decided to enter the fray as an independent candidate against Habibur Rashid Habib of the BNP and Kabir Ahmed of Jamaat-e-Islami.

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Who is Tasnim Jara?

Tasnim Jara is an Oxford graduate, a physician and tech entrepreneur who rose to prominence in Bangladesh politics during the uprising with the Jatiya Nagorik Committee. Following the mass uprising, NCP emerged as a new political party, where she was a senior joint member secretary. But soon she resigned from her position in the National Citizen Party following its decision to align with the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami. She chose to run as an independent candidate in the Dhaka-9 constituency despite logistical challenges, including the need to collect 4,700 voter signatures within 30 hours. She stood by the side of the road with a clipboard and asking signature from passersby. Her massive social media followers also helped her achieve the following. Her campaign is modest, grassroots-driven, talking to people and listening to their requirements and grievances. Her main poll promises are action against LPG syndicates, “No Service, No Bill”, public safety and better facilities in public health care, such as hospitals and community clinics.

In theory, both parties agreed to field 5 per cent women candidates, but the number fell short in practice. Out of the total finalised 1,981 candidates, 109 are female, which is roughly 4.24 per cent of the total. Jara's candidacy has been seen as a broader shift in the dynamics of Bangladesh's political landscape. Her campaigning tactics are unlike the traditional combative and extravagant style of Bangladesh; it's a deviation from the established political families and patronage network, and represents a structural change from the money, media, and muscle to participatory development.