NCP Faces Internal Revolt Over Possible Jamaat Alliance Ahead Of Bangladesh Election

A sharp internal split has surfaced within the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) over a proposed electoral understanding with the Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary election scheduled for February, with dozens of party leaders openly opposing the move and senior figures stepping down.

According to PTI, at least 30 NCP leaders have submitted a joint memorandum objecting to the alliance, while two senior members announced their resignation on Saturday, exposing growing unease within the party ranks.

The NCP, which grew out of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement that led last year’s violent protests known as the July Uprising and the subsequent fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government, formally entered electoral politics in February with the backing of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus.

The first signatory to the letter, NCP joint member-secretary Mushfiq Us Saleheen, told reporters late Saturday that the memorandum had been sent to party convenor Nahid Islam. Titled “Principled objections to a potential alliance in light of the accountability of the July Uprising and party values”, the document raises fundamental concerns about the proposed tie-up.

According to PTI, the memorandum argues that an alliance with Jamaat contradicts the NCP’s stated ideology, its position on the July Uprising, and its commitment to democratic ethics. It highlights Jamaat’s disputed political past, including its opposition to Bangladesh’s independence and alleged involvement in genocide and war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War, describing these as incompatible with democratic principles and the NCP’s core values.

The letter further alleges that Jamaat’s student wing, Chhatra Shibir, has in recent years infiltrated and disrupted other political parties, accusing it of attempting to implicate the NCP in various incidents while spreading misinformation and propaganda.

Warning of political fallout, the signatories said any alliance with Jamaat could damage the NCP’s credibility and erode public trust, leading to confusion and disappointment among “many of our activists and supporters, especially among the younger generation and ordinary citizens who support new politics”.

The internal dissent became public shortly after senior joint member-secretary Tasnim Jara resigned from her post on Saturday evening and announced she would contest the upcoming election as an independent candidate from a Dhaka constituency.

In a Facebook post, Jara, a medical doctor, said, “due to the current political realities, I have decided not to contest the election as a candidate of any specific party or alliance”. She did not specify whether her decision was linked to the party’s discussions with Jamaat, though newspaper reports said her husband, NCP joint convenor Khaled Saifullah, has also quit the party.

Reported PTI, the mass-circulation daily Ittefaq said several prominent women leaders within the NCP — including senior joint convenor Samata Sharmin, senior member-secretary Nahid Sarwar Niva, joint convenor Taznuva Jabin and joint member-secretary Nusrat Tabassum — oppose an alliance with Jamaat or any religion-based party and have conveyed their reservations to the leadership. However, most of the memorandum’s signatories are male party members.

The NCP has not formally confirmed any alliance, but the Daily Star reported that a seat-sharing arrangement with Jamaat could be finalised within the next one or two days.

Jamaat secretary-general Mia Golam Parwar told the newspaper that discussions with the NCP are ongoing on a bilateral basis. “There is a possibility of sharing seats, and the issue will become clear very soon,” he said.

According to PTI, Prothom Alo had earlier reported that the NCP also explored a possible seat-sharing deal with former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), but talks failed to produce an agreement. “Since then, NCP talks with Jamaat have progressed positively,” the report said.

The BNP has emerged as the leading contender in the altered political landscape, while Jamaat — once its key ally during the 2001–2006 government — is now positioned as a principal rival amid the absence of the Awami League, which was disbanded by the interim administration through an executive order.

(With inputs from PTI)