A student-led political party that emerged from the protest movement which ousted Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has struck an electoral alliance with Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, a move that has sparked internal divisions and controversy ahead of February’s parliamentary election. The development was reported by Reuters.
The National Citizen Party, or NCP, was formed in the wake of last year’s uprising and positioned itself as a centrist, reformist alternative to Bangladesh’s entrenched political dynasties. But as the election approaches, the party is struggling to convert its street-level momentum into broad voter support. On Sunday, NCP leader Nahid Islam confirmed the alliance with Jamaat, saying it was intended to promote unity in a fragmented political landscape, with the final list of candidates due to be announced shortly.
Other party figures described the partnership as a pragmatic step, yet the decision has already exposed rifts within the NCP. Tasnim Jara, a senior party leader and doctor who left a career in Britain to join the movement, resigned and announced she would contest the election as an independent. Several other members have also quit in protest.
The alliance has drawn particular scrutiny because Jamaat-e-Islami remains a deeply polarising force in Bangladeshi politics. The party has long been criticised for opposing Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan and for its alleged role in atrocities during the 1971 war. Years of war crimes trials, leadership bans and political marginalisation have left Jamaat with a limited but loyal support base, according to Reuters.
Critics argue that aligning with Jamaat undermines the NCP’s founding ideals. One university student who had supported the party said the alliance represented an ideological mismatch that eroded his confidence in the movement. Analysts say the move risks alienating supporters who were drawn to the NCP’s reformist image.
The partnership also comes amid shifting political dynamics nationwide. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, aligned with former prime minister Khaleda Zia and now effectively led by her son Tarique Rahman, has regained momentum following Rahman’s return after nearly 17 years in exile. The February 12 election will be held under an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, appointed after Hasina’s removal to steer the country toward stability after nearly two years of upheaval.
Polling suggests the NCP faces an uphill battle. A December survey by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute put the party in third place with just 6% support, well behind the BNP at 30% and Jamaat at 26%. While the alliance could reshape voting patterns in the short term, political analysts told Reuters it may damage the NCP’s longer-term ambition to emerge as a dominant political force in Bangladesh.
