Bangladesh: Prior to national elections, the National Citizen Party is pursuing an electoral partnership with Jamaat-e-Islami
Bangladesh: Prior to the national parliamentary elections in February 2026, Bangladesh’s political landscape has seen some pivotal moments. As a result of these changes, the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), which was established following the “July Uprising,” is currently working to form an electoral alliance with the radical Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami, according to Prothom Alo.
The NCP is currently in talks with the Jamaat-e-Islami to form an alliance ahead of the parliamentary elections, according to Abdul Qader, a former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and one of the leaders of the July Uprising, which resulted in the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year, Prothom Alo reported.
According to a Facebook post made by Qader on Thursday, the two parties are talking about a seat-sharing deal, and if negotiations go according to plan, an official announcement may be made on Friday.
Qader also denounced the action, claiming that the NCP had chosen to side with Jamaat-e-Islami at the expense of the goals of its activists and supporters. He claimed that the decision was motivated by the interests of a select few leaders and cautioned that the party ran the risk of losing its unique political identity.
“Youth politics is on the verge of being buried. At last, the NCP has made the decision to join forces with Jamaat. They have made this self-destructive choice only to further the interests of a small number of leaders, disregarding the ambitions and dreams of citizens, party leaders, and activists across. This arrangement may be announced tomorrow, Friday, if everything goes according to plan. In his Facebook post, Qader said that NCP will be “effectively absorbed into the womb of Jamaat.”
He said that during discussions, the NCP first sought 50 seats from the Jamaat, but that number was eventually lowered to 30.
Prothom Alo said that a number of high-ranking NCP officials have yet to formally address the allegations. Additionally, Jamaat-e-Islami made no remarks on the situation.
Many of Abdul Qader’s fellow leaders from the July revolt went on to join the NCP, despite the fact that he is not officially affiliated with the organization.
Similar to him, NCP convener Nahid Islam and other prominent individuals had previously coordinated the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Abdul Qader ran for vice president on a panel supported by the NCP in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election that was place in September of last year.
According to Prothom Alo, Qader is well-known for being a staunch supporter of Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, another former student movement organizer.
Asif Mahmud joined Bangladesh’s interim government after the rebellion, although he subsequently quit his advising role. He is now running as an independent from the Dhaka-10 seat in the next parliamentary election; he is not affiliated with the NCP.
According to Prothom Alo, NCP Joint Member Secretary Mir Arshadul Haque announced his resignation from the party on the same day that Abdul Qader was appointed. He said that the NCP was straying from its core values. According to Abdul Qader, he discovered the purported partnership with Jamaat at around the same time.
Additionally, Abdul Qader said that conversations indicated that Nahid Islam, the NCP’s convener, may be appointed prime minister in the event that the coalition wins the election or leader of the opposition in the event that it loses.
The 13th parliamentary election and referendum have been set for February 12 of the following year by the Election Commission. The NCP has declared candidates in over 100 seats and is running for office using the Shapla Kali, or water lily blossom, as its electoral emblem.
Although it has already established the ‘Gonotantrik Sangskar Jote’ with the Rastro Songskar Andolon and the AB Party, there are rumors that the party is still in discussions with other political parties.