The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by a group of youth leaders who spearheaded the July uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s long rule, has formally allied with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
The decision has exposed deep divisions within the party, with a large section of leaders backing the move, a smaller group opposing it but ultimately complying, and several senior figures resigning.
Party Convener Nahid Islam confirmed the alliance around 8pm on Sunday at a press briefing held at the party’s makeshift office in Banglamotor in the capital.
Nahid said the NCP had initially planned to contest all 300 parliamentary seats independently, but the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi had altered the country’s “political landscape.”
“After the martyrdom of Sharif Osman Hadi and the way he was openly shot dead, Bangladesh’s political context has changed significantly,” he said. “Through this killing, we understand that hegemonic and aggressive forces in the country are still active.”
Responding to questions on whether the alliance with Jamaat was ideological, Nahid clarified that it was not.
“This is not a comprehensive or ideological unity. It is an electoral compromise. We have reached consensus on minimum issues. Together, we can contest the election,” he said.
Earlier Sunday, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqul Islam announced the alliance at a press briefing at the National Press Club.
Announcing the decision, Shafiqul said: “Their convener, Nahid Islam, spoke to us directly. He informed us of their decision.”
With the alliance, speculation over whether the NCP would position itself as a centrist political force appears to have been settled ahead of the party’s first national election.
122 leaders back alliance
A total of 122 members of the National Citizen Party’s central committee have submitted letters to Convener Nahid Islam expressing support for the alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami.
Joint Chief Coordinator Md Arifur Rahman Tuhin confirmed the development to Dhaka Tribune.
In their letters, the leaders wrote: “Considering party and national interests, and the broader goal of democratic transformation, if the NCP decides on any electoral compromise or alliance with any political party, we offer our full support.”
They expressed confidence in decisions taken by the convener and member secretary, urging the leadership to keep the party united and maintain public trust.
Founding members threaten resignation
Earlier, 30 founding members of the NCP had threatened to resign if the party proceeded with an alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami-led eight-party coalition.
In a letter sent to Convener Nahid Islam on Saturday, the signatories cited Jamaat’s political history, particularly its anti-independence role during the 1971 Liberation War and alleged complicity in genocide, arguing that it contradicts Bangladesh’s democratic spirit and the party’s core values.
The letter also accused Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, of engaging in “divisive politics since the July uprising,” including espionage within other parties, character assassination of NCP women leaders, and fostering what it described as the growing threat of religion-based social fascism.
However, Joint Chief Coordinator Tuhin said that of the 30 leaders who initially signed the dissenting letter, 16 to 17 later clarified that they had raised concerns but ultimately supported the party’s decision.
Senior leaders exit, split fears grow
Signs of internal rifts emerged even before the formal dissent.
Mir Arshadul Haque, joint member secretary of the NCP central committee, resigned on Thursday, saying he did not believe the promises of the July mass uprising could be fulfilled from within the party.
“I felt that I would not be able to achieve this from within the NCP,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
On Saturday night, Tasnim Jara resigned as the party’s first senior joint member secretary and announced she would contest the upcoming election as an independent candidate from Dhaka-9.
In a Facebook post, she wrote: “Due to practical circumstances, I have decided not to participate in the election as a candidate of any specific party or alliance.”
Tajnuva Jabeen also stepped down from her position as joint convener Sunday and announced that she would not contest the next general election.
Criticising the process behind the alliance, she wrote: “This is being framed as a political strategy or an electoral alliance. I would say it was planned—carefully engineered and brought to this point.”
Meanwhile, Monira Sharmin, the NCP’s nominated candidate for Naogaon-5, withdrew from the upcoming 13th national election Sunday.
Samanta Sharmin, another senior party leader, publicly opposed the alliance but did not resign.
In a separate Facebook post, former adviser Mahfuz Alam—considered one of the party’s key thinkers despite holding no formal position—said he was “not with this NCP.”
Mahfuz expressed optimism about the emergence of a new political and economic settlement, saying he would welcome anyone who joined him.
“The rise of alternative and moderate youth and July forces is imminent,” he wrote.
Amid these developments, critics say a breakaway faction could emerge from within the NCP, potentially under the leadership of Mahfuz Alam and others opposed to the alliance decision.
