Reform push or an ideological trade-off?

The National Citizen Party's alignment with Jamaat-e-Islami took shape during the talks at the National Consensus Commission, with leaders insisting that state reforms remain central to its election agenda.

NCP leaders said their top priority is implementing the July charter and securing a victory for the "yes" vote in the referendum.

According to the party, Jamaat and its allies support its reform agenda, while the BNP has "adopted an anti-reform stance".

The NCP believes consolidating pro-reform votes into a single ballot would facilitate a "yes" victory and speed up implementation of core reforms.

At a press briefing yesterday, NCP Convener Nahid Islam stated that his party's joining the Jamaat-led eight-party alliance is strictly an electoral arrangement and not based on any ideological alignment.

He explained the NCP was preparing to contest the polls independently and had planned to field candidates in all 300 constituencies, but after Sharif Osman Hadi was killed, Bangladesh's political landscape has changed significantly.

"Through this incident, we realised that the forces of hegemonic aggression are still active in the country. They are still conspiring to derail the election."

Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adeeb said, "We're politically aligned on implementing the reform proposals within the democratic alliance. This will allow us to strengthen the role of eight to ten parties in implementing the July uprising's political agreement.

"At the same time, we can encourage everyone to play a more effective role in seeking justice for the genocide [during the uprising], implementing fundamental reforms, resisting domination, and protecting Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty. This is why we are moving forward with the alliance."

Yesterday, around 130 NCP leaders submitted a letter to party Convener Nahid Islam, expressing solidarity and support for the alliance decision.

The signatories included senior joint conveners Ariful Islam Adeeb, Sarwar Tushar, Dr Atik Mujahid, Javed Rasin, Sultan Muhammad Zakaria, and Ehtesham Haque; Joint Member Secretary Ariful Rahman Tuhin; Senior Joint Chief Organiser Saifullah Haider; along with other members including Ataullah, Mahmuda Mitu, Ali Naser Khan, Mahin Sarkar, and others.

In the letter, they said, "We extend our full trust and support to any political understanding or alliance decision taken by the convener and member secretary, considering party and national interests and the goal of democratic transformation."

They also expressed hope that the convener would keep the party united and strong through visionary leadership and political wisdom, reinforcing public trust.

Sarwar Tushar told this correspondent that talks about an alliance with BNP fell through because "consensus and alliances are built as a team, not based on individual preferences".

"Perhaps other parties were interested in certain individuals rather than the party as a whole, whereas the alliance with Jamaat means two parties coming together."

Post-election security was also cited as a factor, with NCP leaders claiming increasing harassment of their grassroots activists by BNP members. "Once and if they come to power, it will be difficult to protect the people of my constituency. Allying with Jamaat will allow the party to protect its grassroots-level activists," he said.

Party leaders said BNP's gradual shift towards the centre-left, coupled with its move to woo vote banks left empty by the Awami League's removal from the electoral arena, has left the centre-right open.

NCP insiders said that while the party always planned to move ahead independently, their abysmal performance in the student union elections across campuses was a moment of reckoning. "It made us seriously consider the need for an alliance," Tushar said.

Regarding their previous alliance, Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adeeb said, "Our previous Gonotantrik Songskar Jote was a political alliance, but the alliance we are now forming with Jamaat and eight other parties is an electoral one."

Though the NCP is proceeding with the 30 seats committed by the Jamaat-led alliance, insiders said negotiations were ongoing to raise the number to 40, while the party is seeking 51.

The party's decision to enter this alliance alienated a small but significant faction, which includes former information adviser Mahfuj Alam.

In a Facebook post yesterday, he wrote that he had tried to establish NCP as a "Big July Umbrella" but failed, and questioned whether the platforms had truly embraced principles such as a new political-economic settlement, cultural resistance to fascism, and building a society of empathy.

The alliance also did not sit well with five other leaders -- Senior Joint Member Secretary Tasnim Jara, Joint Member Secretary Arshadul Haque, joint conveners Monira Sharmin and Tajnuva Jabeen, and Joint Chief Coordinator Navid Nowroz Shah -- to announce their resignations and/or withdrawal from the polls.

While Jara has announced her resignation and decision to run independently in the polls on Saturday, Jabeen yesterday resigned from the party and withdrew from the race.

Monira remains in the party but announced her withdrawal from the election yesterday.

Monira and Jara had initially been offered seats under the 30-seat sharing arrangement, but both turned down the offer.

Arshadul, who was the NCP's Chattogram-16 nominee, resigned from the party on Thursday but has yet to announce whether he will contest the polls. The party's Cumilla-6 nominee Navid last night announced withdrawing from the race but remaining in the NCP.

The small but influential faction argues that the alliance with Jamaat is a strategic miscalculation and will cost the party politically in the long run.

Announcing her resignation yesterday on her verified Facebook page, Jabeen wrote, "Many assume my objection to the alliance with Jamaat is rooted in historical reasons or women's issues. But what was more alarming was the process through which this was executed. Although it's being framed as an electoral strategy, I see it as entirely pre-planned.

"The situation was engineered in a way to make it seem like there was no alternative to forming the alliance. Other possibilities were deliberately sidelined. Many have been brought into this platform through calculated tactics and effectively held hostage."

She also criticised the nomination process, saying, "Just days ago, 125 aspirants were asked to collect nomination forms. The subsequent decision to cap the arrangement at 30 seats and ask the remaining aspirants to stand down was not taken through any open discussion or general meeting. Now, leaders are being told to campaign for Jamaat candidates in the remaining constituencies -- an issue that was never previously discussed."

Jabeen also took a jab at the party's top leadership over alleged internal power struggles. "Senior leaders are preoccupied with removing one another through internal feuds. They are so consumed by personal rivalries, they'll never be able to build a centrist, Bangladesh-focused political force capable of serving the country…. The July spirit is not cultivated here; it is only used for political gain."

Joint Convener Monira Sharmin wrote on her Facebook page yesterday, "I believe in the independent political strength of the NCP. I have not broken my commitment to the party. But at this moment, my commitment to the mass uprising and to the people of this country outweighs that to my party.

"To those who supported me financially, encouraged me on this difficult path, and sent messages of hope, I sincerely apologise for disappointing you [by withdrawing from the race] at this moment. Please know that I did not enter politics to pursue power. I won't betray my party or the people by going to power through seat-sharing while preaching political change."

Thanking the party convener, member secretary, and the political council for nominating him for Cumilla-6, Navid on his Facebook page wrote, "Yesterday, an electoral alliance comprising Jamaat, the NCP, and eight other parties was announced…. In light of the changed circumstances, I am withdrawing myself from the race… I extend my advance best wishes to whoever the alliance nominates for Cumilla-6."

He added he and his colleagues would continue campaigning for a "yes" vote in the July Charter referendum on behalf of the NCP.

Senior Joint Convener Samanta Sharmin clarified her position on her Facebook page. "Some members of the National Citizen Party deviated from the party's core aspirations on December 28, 2025 at 5:30pm in exchange for a handful of seats…. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is not a reliable ally. I believe that entering into any form of cooperation or understanding with Jamaat -- given its political position and ideology -- would require the NCP to pay a heavy price.

"According to the National Citizen Party's long-held position, its core principles and vision for the state are fundamentally different from those of Jamaat. The NCP is a party built around the issues of justice, reform, and a Constituent Assembly election, leading toward a Second Republic. Therefore, a shared position on these three issues must be a prerequisite for any political alliance."