Bangladesh’s NCP sidesteps opposition for poll alliance with Jamaat: sources

The student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) in Bangladesh has reached an electoral understanding with the radical Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist groups and is working on a seat-sharing formula, sidestepping requests from a section of its leadership, according to people aware of the development.

The move allegedly has the tacit backing of the interim regime’s chief adviser, Md Yunus, and raises suspicion that the core NCP leadership is rooted in pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami ideology.

According to sources, the NCP has reached an understanding with not just Jamaat-e-Islami but also other extremist groups such as Khelafat Majlis and Islami Andolan.


On Sunday, prominent student leader Mahfuz Alam distanced himself from his NCP colleagues over their move to forge an electoral alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami.

In a Facebook post, Alam declined to be a "part of this NCP", as a rift in the party over the alliance issue yielded a memorandum signed by 30 of its senior leaders expressing their stance against the move and two ranking ones announcing their resignation. A section of the NCP leaders opposed the alliance with Jamaat over its role in the 1971 genocide and war crimes.

Meanwhile, prominent NCP leader Neela Israfil has announced her decision to sever all ties with the party, citing a lack of justice and protection for women within the party.

Israfil alleged that the July-August 2024 movement to remove Hasina was a meticulously designed operation and radicals killed police in the name of the movement.

Experts on Bangladesh told ET that Israfil’s statement proved that the anti-Hasina movement was not an organic protest and was designed by external forces, including the Pakistani army, and executed by the Islamists. Influence of the US, too, cannot be ruled out, alleged an expert.

Pakistan’s ties with Bangladesh warmed up within weeks of the ouster of Hasina. Over the past year, several Pakistani military delegations and ministers have visited Dhaka and received a warm welcome. It is alleged that Jamaat is seeking to ride on student sentiments to increase its vote share.

Meanwhile, nomination papers have been submitted on behalf of BNP’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, to contest the Parliamentary election from the Dhaka-17 constituency.