‘NCP leaning towards seat-sharing deal with Jamaat’

The National Citizen Party is increasingly tilting toward a seat-sharing arrangement with Jamaat-e-Islami, as party leaders fear that a deal with the BNP would yield too few seats and create cracks within their newly formed alliance.

Several senior NCP leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Jamaat has so far agreed to give up 30 seats for NCP to contest in the February general election, substantially more than what the BNP is prepared to offer.

 They said the BNP initially indicated it might concede six to seven seats, but in final negotiations, the offer would likely shrink to no more than three.

 The BNP, they added, also imposed conditions requiring the NCP to dissolve itself or break the Gonotantrik Songskar Jote to join the party.

 "We are holding discussions with both the BNP and Jamaat, but we are moving forward with the understanding with Jamaat," said a senior NCP leader.

 However, he noted that further talks with the BNP could still take place as its acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to the country yesterday after 17 years in exile.

Repeated attempts to reach NCP Convener Nahid Islam and Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary by phone and message were unsuccessful.

NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar told The Daily Star that no final decision had been made. "Nothing has been finalised for an official announcement. Details will be shared once discussions are over," he said.

 Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar confirmed to BBC Bangla that discussions on seat-sharing between Jamaat and the NCP were under way.

 When The Daily Star tried to contact Porwar by phone, his aide Foyez Uddin received the call and said the Jamaat leader was busy.

 Two senior NCP leaders, requesting anonymity, said the proposed arrangement with Jamaat would not be a formal alliance but a seat-sharing deal, allowing the party to contest the election under its own symbol.

 Jamaat has also agreed to a seat compromise while keeping the Gonotantrik Songskar Jote intact. "Overall, the talks are moving in a positive direction," one NCP leader said.

The issue entered the public domain yesterday morning after Abdul Kader, former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement and convener of the defunct Dhaka University Democratic Student Union, raised concerns in a Facebook post.

 He wrote that the NCP was "finally forming an alliance with Jamaat," calling it a "suicidal decision" driven by the interests of a few leaders.

 Kader claimed the NCP had initially demanded 50 seats from Jamaat but eventually settled for 30, under conditions that would prevent the party from fielding candidates in the remaining 270 constituencies.

 He also claimed NCP's Patwary and Jamaat leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher would oversee the finalisation of candidates for those seats. Taher did not receive phone calls for comments.

 Sources said talks between the BNP and NCP had been ongoing since the start of election preparations, with both sides initially exploring an alliance rooted in the legacy of the July mass uprising.

 The NCP had sought 20 seats, and most of its leaders supported the move.

However, disagreements over seat distribution, the July charter and reform issues gradually widened, becoming public with the signing of the charter.

 In early November, Nahid had announced his decision to contest separately. On December 7, the Gonotantrik Songskar Jote was launched, followed by the NCP's announcement of candidates for 125 seats on December 10.

 As negotiations with the BNP stalled, NCP leaders said the party shifted its focus toward Jamaat-e-Islami to preserve its political relevance and organisational footing.

 A senior NCP leader, speaking anonymously, said the BNP's stance had changed as its position strengthened. "During difficult times, the BNP needed us. Now they have taken a dismissive, almost despotic attitude," he said.

 "They are offering only three seats, with the condition that we dissolve the party and our alliances to merge with them. Under these terms, the prospects of an alliance or seat-sharing with the BNP are extremely low," he added, noting that a final decision would follow talks with Tarique.

 A BNP leader with knowledge of seat-sharing talks with other parties said it had held discussions with the NCP a long time ago. "There was no talks with the NCP recently," the leader added, requesting anonymity.  

 MIXED REACTIONS AMONG ALLIES

The developments have drawn mixed reactions within the Gonotantrik Songskar Jote. The Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has responded pragmatically, while the Rastro Songskar Andolon has voiced sharp criticism.

 "We will speak with our alliance partners soon. We want to move forward together," said a senior NCP leader.

An AB Party leader, requesting anonymity, said, "Without an agreement with a major party, our post-election existence would be uncertain. Since the BNP is unwilling to compromise, Jamaat has become our last option."

 In contrast, Rastro Songskar Andolon Chairman Hasnat Kaiyum said the NCP's engagement with Jamaat undermined the alliance's principles.

 "Jamaat is an undemocratic party. By negotiating simultaneously with the BNP and Jamaat, the NCP has violated the core democratic conditions of the alliance. As a result, this alliance has effectively collapsed and no longer exists," he said.