The National Citizen Party (NCP), a political group formed by leaders of the July 2024 agitation that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has formally decided to align with the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2026. The development was announced on Sunday by Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, according to reports in Bangladeshi media.
Speaking to the press, Shafiqur Rahman said the NCP and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had joined the existing eight-party alliance, turning it into a ten-party coalition. He added that he had spoken to NCP Convener Nahid Islam shortly before the announcement and that the students’ party would formally declare its participation in the alliance later the same day, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune.
The decision has triggered sharp internal divisions within the NCP. Several senior leaders resigned in protest, accusing the leadership of betraying the party’s founding ideals. According to reports, as many as 30 members of the NCP’s central committee wrote to Nahid Islam on Saturday opposing any electoral alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. However, The Daily Star reported that more than 170 central committee members ultimately supported the tie-up, indicating deep divisions within the party.
Just hours before the alliance was made public, NCP Joint Convener Tajnuva Jabeen resigned from her post. In a Facebook post quoted by The Daily Star, she said her resignation stemmed from “deep frustration” with the party’s decision-making process and its move toward an alliance with Jamaat. Her resignation followed that of Mir Arshadul Haque, a prominent anti-Jamaat voice within the party and joint member secretary of the NCP, who stepped down on December 25. Haque had also served as chief coordinator of the party’s Chattogram unit.
Over the past week, a series of resignations has shaken the party. The dissent reflects growing unease among a section of NCP leaders who believe the alliance undermines the party’s original identity as a reformist, student-led alternative to traditional political forces.
According to reports, the NCP initially demanded 50 seats in the 350-member Jatiyo Sangsad as part of the alliance. However, Jamaat-e-Islami reportedly considered this demand unrealistic. Media reports suggest that the NCP eventually lowered its expectations and settled for around 30 seats. Abdul Kader, a key figure in the anti-Hasina protests and former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said negotiations had narrowed to this number.
At the same time, some NCP leaders were said to be exploring the possibility of reopening talks with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), particularly after the return of BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile. His return was seen by some within the NCP as an opportunity to align with a stronger political force.
The NCP emerged from the student-led movement that brought down the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024 and played a key role in installing Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as head of the interim administration. Since then, the party has often been viewed as enjoying tacit support from Yunus. Initially, the NCP had projected itself as an independent political force and announced plans to contest all 300 seats on its own.
Later, it helped form the Democratic Reform Alliance along with the Amar Bangladesh Party and the Bangladesh State Reform Movement. That alliance had explicitly pledged not to align with either the BNP or Jamaat. However, as the elections approached and the NCP failed to build significant grassroots strength, the leadership began exploring alliances for political survival.
Abdul Kader, reacting to the development, wrote on Facebook that the NCP was effectively being “absorbed into the womb of Jamaat,” calling the decision the “grave of youth politics” in Bangladesh. He warned that the alliance would erase the ideological distinction that had once set the NCP apart.
Concerns have also been raised about the historical role of Jamaat-e-Islami. The party opposed Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan in 1971 and was accused of collaborating with the Pakistani military during the war. Several of its leaders were later convicted and executed for war crimes, including mass killings and atrocities against minorities, particularly Hindus.
Earlier on Sunday, NCP Senior Joint Convener Samantha Sharmin cautioned that the party would “pay a heavy price” for aligning with Jamaat. She said Jamaat was not a reliable political partner and warned that any compromise with its ideology would undermine the NCP’s founding principles. She stressed that the two parties had fundamentally different political visions.
After the announcement, NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain attempted to justify the alliance, saying the decision was based on shared views regarding political reforms. He said the party’s priority was restructuring the state and rebuilding the country, and that the alliance had been formed with those goals in mind.
The decision has also revived scrutiny of the NCP’s ideological direction. Some of its leaders have previously made statements echoing Islamist rhetoric. Earlier this month, NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah warned that if Bangladesh were destabilised, separatist movements in India’s northeastern states could be supported — a remark that sparked controversy and concern.
The student movement that led to Hasina’s downfall had also seen attacks on minorities and security forces, raising questions about the role of Islamist groups in the agitation. Critics now argue that the NCP’s alliance with Jamaat confirms long-standing suspicions that Islamist elements were embedded within the movement from the beginning.
As Bangladesh heads toward a tense and polarised election season, the NCP’s decision to align with Jamaat-e-Islami has not only fractured the party internally but also reshaped the country’s political landscape, raising serious questions about the future of youth-led politics and democratic reform in the country.
