Within just a year of its launch, six candidates from the National Citizen Party (NCP) have won seats in the 13th National Parliamentary Election.
The party believes their success stems from people’s trust in the leadership of the mass uprising, and says their future plan is to expand the organization at the grassroots level.
The youth-led political party, National Citizen Party, was launched on February 28, 2025. The party has a 151-member central committee, with Nahid Islam as its founder and current convener, and Akhtar Hossain as member secretary.
On the day of its launch, Nahid Islam said: “There will be no place for India- or Pakistan-aligned politics in Bangladesh. We want to rebuild the state by putting Bangladesh and the interests of its people first. We want to talk about the future — to move beyond the past and speak about a Bangladesh of possibilities.”
In the 13th National Parliamentary Election held on the 12th, NCP won six seats as part of an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.
The winning candidates are: Nahid Islam, NCP convener and candidate from Dhaka-11; Akhtar Hossain, member secretary and candidate from Rangpur-4; Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer for the southern region and candidate from Cumilla-4; Hannan Masud, joint chief coordinator and candidate from Noakhali-6; Atikur Rahman Mojahid from Kurigram-2; and Abdullah Al Amin from Narayanganj-4.
What do leaders say about the reasons behind the victory?
When asked about the party’s success, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan told Dhaka Tribune: “People trusted the leadership of the mass uprising, and that is the reason for our success.”
“We have been able to assure people that the National Citizen Party will continue its struggle in the days ahead to uphold the spirit of the uprising.”
However, he said the results did not fully meet their expectations, blaming “vote rigging and result manipulation.”
“We expected to win several more seats. Analyzing the results shows that our candidates lost by narrow margins. There is clear evidence of vote rigging and result manipulation in those constituencies.”
What are the party’s future plans?
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune about future plans, he said: “We want to expand the organization at the grassroots level and reach people door to door.”
Asif Mahmud also said they will shape their organizational and political strategies with the upcoming local government elections in mind.