Dhaka, Dec. 30 -- National Citizen Party (NCP) southern region chief organiser Hasnat Abdullah will contest the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election from the Cumilla-4 (Debidwar) constituency, following the withdrawal of the Jamaat-e-Islami-nominated candidate, Saiful Islam (Shahid).

The decision comes as part of an electoral understanding between the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami, announced last Sunday when the NCP declared it would contest the parliamentary election in alliance with Jamaat and eight other like-minded parties. Within hours of a press conference held in Dhaka by senior leaders of the alliance, Saiful Islam, secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami's Cumilla north district unit, confirmed he was stepping aside from the race.

The Cumilla-4 seat en...