Tasnim Zara's election fund: 23.5 lakhs in 14 hours, 47 lakhs in 29 hours

Dhaka-9 parliamentary candidate and National Citizens Party (NCP) senior joint member secretary Dr. Tasnim Zara's election fund collection target has been met in just 29 hours. She confirmed the matter in a post on her verified page on social media Facebook at around 2:30 am on Tuesday (December 23). In the post, she said that since donations of about 47 lakhs have been collected, no more money is being accepted for the time being.

Dr. Zara described this achievement as a victory for new-style politics, breaking away from the conventional trend of big-budget election campaigns. She said that where many candidates try to buy votes by spending 10 to 50 crores, the election fund filled with small donations from the common people has clearly shaken the old political system.

In the Facebook post, Dr. Tasneem Zara further wrote, there are about five lakh voters in Dhaka-9 constituency. Even if a candidate walks for 12 hours a day and talks to each family for five minutes, it is possible to reach a maximum of 100 to 110 families. During the entire election period, it is possible to talk directly to at most four thousand families, so it is not possible to reach a message directly to several lakh families.

This senior joint member secretary of NCP said that they have come into politics to reject money politics, so no paid workers will be appointed. The role of volunteers will be the most important in reaching the message to the people. Although many are not voters of Dhaka-9, their relatives, friends, colleagues or acquaintances live in this area. He commented that a word from a known person can be much more effective than posters, banners or campaigns that cost money.

Dr. Zara further said that he did not put up posters as per the rules, although other candidates did so. A phone call can also play a big role in reducing this inequality. In this context, he made two specific appeals to the common people. First, he requested people to go door to door as volunteers for just 4 to 8 hours a week. Second, he urged them to join the campaign as polling agents or on election day, where they would have the opportunity to work with an organized team after receiving training.

He said that on election day, every booth needs brave people who will not bow down to injustice. “Together, we will prove how helpless crores of black money are in front of the combined power of the people”—this is how Dr. Tasnim Zara expressed her conviction.

He also reiterated his promise to ensure complete transparency of the election fund. Dr. Zara said that they are not accepting any cash donations. All donations are being received through a single bKash number and a single bank account, the records of which will be under the supervision of Bangladesh Bank and will be verifiable in the future.

In addition, information on how much money has come from which source will be regularly published and all documents will be submitted to the Election Commission, he said. He also said that there are no personal transactions in the bKash and bank accounts where donations are being received. The two accounts are new, starting from zero balance and 100% of the money is public donations—so that there is no ambiguity in the accounts.

Finally, Dr. Tasneem Zara said that the collected money will be clearly disclosed to the public in which sectors and how much will be spent. Her initiative and declaration of transparency have already sparked discussions in the political arena.