Bangladesh: As internal dissension grows, the NCP justifies the Jamaat alliance as an electoral maneuver

Bangladesh: Party convenor Nahid Islam took action to make it clear that the partnership was solely electoral and not founded on any ideological convergence after the National Citizen Party (NCP) revealed its intention to join an alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of the general elections in Bangladesh, sparking intense internal dissent.

Islam said that the NCP had previously planned to run candidates in each of the 300 parliamentary seats and had been getting ready to run in the next elections on its own.

But he said that after Sharif Osman Hadi was killed, Bangladesh’s political landscape had drastically shifted, compelling the party to reconsider its approach.

“The NCP cannot run in the elections by itself given the present political climate. We made the decision to join forces with eight parties who share our values because of this. The newspaper Star, a prominent Bangladeshi newspaper, cited Islam as stating, “This is an electoral understanding, not an ideological alliance.”

Speaking to The Daily Star earlier, NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adeeb said that the partnership was founded on common political goals rather than ideological similarities.

Regarding the implementation of the reform measures within the democratic alliance, we have a same political stance. This would enable us to enhance the role of eight to ten parties in carrying out the political accord reached during the July revolt,” he said.

The decision has caused significant division within the party in spite of these explanations.

Two prominent NCP leaders have announced their resignations in protest, while over thirty senior figures have released a joint statement criticizing the collaboration with the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami.

Islam reaffirmed that the party’s initial strategy was to run for all 300 seats alone, but that Osman Hadi’s assassination was a watershed.

“We think more unity is necessary in this altered environment to guarantee a competitive and fair election. We had talks with Jamaat-e-Islami and its eight-party coalition with that intensity,” he said.

The Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, which led the violent July riots last year, gave rise to the NCP as a political force.

The organization then changed its name to a political party during Muhammad Yunus’s temporary administration.

The Jamaat alliance’s opponents contend that the action is inconsistent with the NCP’s stated philosophy, position on the July Uprising, and democratic values.

Dissident leaders cited Jamaat-e-Islami’s contentious political history, including its opposition to Bangladesh’s independence and alleged involvement in atrocities during the 1971 Liberation War, in a memo distributed within the party, claiming that these stances were incompatible with the NCP’s basic principles.

A prominent participant in the violent revolt of 2024, Mahfuz Alam, has officially separated from NCP leaders due to their choice to establish links with Jamaat-e-Islami.

Alam said on Facebook that he could not be “part of this NCP” as the internal division deepened, as shown by the departure of two high-ranking members and a letter denouncing the partnership signed by thirty top officials.

Elections in Bangladesh are planned for February of next year.