Tensions Rise in Bangladesh's National Citizen Party Over Jamaat-e-Islami Alliance Ahead of Elections
Internal Conflict Erupts in NCP
Dhaka: A significant internal dispute has emerged within the National Citizen Party (NCP), a student-led organization, regarding its potential alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami as Bangladesh approaches its elections in February. A group of 30 leaders has publicly opposed this alliance, with two prominent members resigning in protest.
The NCP, which evolved from the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement that led to the overthrow of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government during the July Uprising, was established with the support of interim government leader Muhammad Yunus in February.
Mushfiq Us Saleheen, the NCP's joint member-secretary and the first to sign the memorandum, informed the media that they have submitted a document titled "Principled objections to a potential alliance in light of the accountability of the July Uprising and party values" to party convenor Nahid Islam.
The memorandum raises concerns about the proposed alliance with Jamaat, arguing that it contradicts the party's principles and stance on the July Uprising and democratic values.
It highlights Jamaat's controversial past, particularly its actions during Bangladesh's fight for independence and alleged involvement in war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War, asserting that these actions are fundamentally at odds with the democratic ideals of Bangladesh and the core values of the NCP.
The memo also accuses Jamaat's student wing, Chhatra Shibir, of infiltrating and undermining other political parties to tarnish the NCP's reputation through misinformation.
It warns that forming an alliance with Jamaat could damage the NCP's political integrity and erode public trust, particularly among younger supporters and citizens advocating for new political approaches.
This memorandum was made public following the resignation of Tasnim Jara, the NCP's senior joint member-secretary, who announced her intention to run as an independent candidate in Dhaka's upcoming parliamentary elections.
In her Facebook announcement, Jara stated, "Given the current political landscape, I have chosen not to run as a candidate for any specific party or alliance."
While she did not explicitly link her resignation to the NCP's alliance with Jamaat, reports indicate that her husband, Khaled Saifullah, who is also a joint convenor of the party, has left the organization.
Shortly after Jara's announcement, Tajnuva Jabeen, another NCP joint convener and doctor, also resigned, describing the alliance as a "political strategy... I would say it was planned."
She expressed her distress over leaving the NCP, stating that despite being a founding member, she felt she had no "honourable option" but to resign.
According to a report from Ittefaq, many female leaders within the NCP, including senior joint convenor Samata Sharmin and joint member-secretary Nusrat Tabassum, have voiced their opposition to an alliance with Jamaat or any religiously affiliated parties.
However, the majority of the memo's signatories were male members of the NCP.
While the NCP has not officially confirmed the alliance, reports suggest that a seat-sharing agreement with Jamaat could be finalized soon.
Jamaat's secretary, General Mia Golam Parwar, has indicated that discussions with the NCP are ongoing and that a seat-sharing arrangement is likely to be established shortly.
Additionally, Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported that talks regarding a potential seat-sharing deal between the NCP and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, were discussed but did not result in an agreement.
The report noted that since then, negotiations between the NCP and Jamaat have progressed positively.
In the current political climate, the BNP has emerged as a leading force, with Jamaat, once its ally during the 2001-2006 government, now positioned as a primary competitor in the absence of the Awami League, which has been disbanded by the interim government.