By Faroque Amin: Councillor Masud Khalil, a locally based politician of Bangladeshi descent, formally announced his candidacy for the upcoming New South Wales state election this evening. The announcement took place at an event held at the Ron Moore Community Centre in Minto, Western Sydney, on Saturday, 5 September 2026. He will contest the state election as an independent candidate, which is expected to be held in March 2027.
ew South Wales, or NSW, is one of the six states and two territories of the Commonwealth of Australia. Sydney is the state capital. Khalil has served for a long period as an elected independent councillor on the Campbelltown City Council, which covers a major part of western Sydney.
Khalil is notably the first Bangladeshi-Australian to be elected as Deputy Mayor of a city council in Australia. His victory as an independent candidate against major political parties represents an exceptional achievement. To date, this remains the highest elected position held by any Bangladeshi-origin representative in Australian politics.
Australia’s state and federal parliaments include elected members from diverse ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the nation’s multicultural character. While Bangladeshis have previously attempted to run as candidates nominated by major political parties for state parliament, none have been elected to state parliament until now.
Khalil is widely recognised in the Campbelltown area as a dedicated politician. He has worked extensively on local civic services and community rights at the grassroots level. His support extends across the Bangladeshi diaspora and among people of all ethnic backgrounds and cultures, demonstrating his broad appeal. In his political work, he considers all people as Australians first.
Australia’s government operates across three levels. The federal government manages the entire nation at the highest level. State and territory governments operate at the second level, managing health, education, law and order, and transport services within their jurisdictions. At the local level, city councils oversee infrastructure and civic services including building approvals, local roads, and parks. Khalil brings substantial experience from local government to this new phase of his political career.
At today’s event, Khalil called for voter support in the Campbelltown electoral district for the NSW State Parliament election. He argued that Australian politics has long been dominated by two major parties, which now treat voters’ support as granted. As a result, he said, these parties have neglected public services in favour of pursuing their own interests on less important matters.
If elected as a member of parliament, Khalil committed to changing political culture and ensuring maximum opportunity for grassroots communities to access the services they deserve. He stands as an independent candidate, supported by Community Voice of Australia, his local political party.
Today’s candidacy declaration event was presented by Councillor Khaled Halabi, another member of Campbelltown City Council. Local community, political and religious leaders attended, alongside professionals, business owners and members of the general public representing various sections of society.
