The National Citizen Party (NCP) announced mayoral candidates for five city corporations and laid out a five-point demand, calling for neutral local government elections.

At an emergency press briefing at its temporary office in Dhaka’s Banglamotor on Sunday, NCP Convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam unveiled the nominations and voiced concern over whether a “level playing field” would be ensured under the current Election Commission.

“We are not getting space to speak in the parliament. You are our last hope,” he said at the press briefing.

The party nominated its spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain for Dhaka South City Corporation and Ariful Islam Adeeb, a senior joint convener of the party, for Dhaka North.

For other cities, the nominees are: Convener of Jubo Shakti Tarikul Islam for Cumilla, Convener of Rajshahi Metropolitan NCP Md Mobassher Ali for Rajshahi, and Convener of Sylhet Metropolitan NCP Abdur Rahman Afzal for Sylhet.

NCP leaders criticised the government’s move to appoint administrators in city corporations and district councils, alleging it was a step towards consolidating control.

NCP Member Secretary Akhter Hossen presented a five-point demand, urging: completion of all local government elections within six months; no appointment of administrators at the local level; bar on administrators from contesting elections; holding polls without party symbols in line with reform proposals and passing this in parliament; ensuring free, fair and neutral elections.