NCP’s independent identity questioned as Jamaat ties grow

The National Citizen Party’s (NCP) claim of maintaining an independent political identity despite its electoral alliance with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has come under growing scrutiny, with analysts questioning whether its actions match its stated position.

Dhaka University Prof Dr Zobaida Nasreen said the NCP had been viewed as Jamaat’s “B-team” since its inception, particularly after the July 2024 mass uprising, as questions emerged over its leadership’s political orientation.

She said NCP leaders’ participation in Jamaat programmes beyond the electoral understanding, silence over controversial remarks by Jamaat leaders about women and support for various Jamaat activities had reinforced the perception.

Although the NCP described its alliance with Jamaat as merely electoral, its political and organisational activities raised questions about its independence, she said. She also questioned the lack of clarity over the party’s constitution, organisational structure and public engagement, saying leaders’ statements suggested an increasing alignment with Jamaat.

The debate has intensified following the resignation of several prominent NCP leaders, particularly women, over the party’s political direction, internal democracy and alliance with Jamaat. The latest departure is founding leader and former senior joint convener Samanta Shermeen.

In her resignation statement, Samanta alleged that the party was losing its independent identity and failing to take clear positions on key political issues despite repeated concerns raised by senior leaders.

She said she had submitted written complaints and proposals and held discussions over the past year on the party’s political direction, understanding with Jamaat, women's participation and lack of internal democracy, but the leadership had shown little interest in addressing them.

She also criticised contesting elections under a larger political platform, saying it undermined the NCP’s independent identity. Women who played key roles in the July uprising, she alleged, were denied adequate recognition and meaningful participation in leadership and decision-making.

Samanta further questioned the reorganisation of the party committee without a council, calling it evidence of weak internal democracy.

A founding organiser of the National Citizen Committee, the platform preceding the NCP's formation in February 2025, Samanta later served as senior joint convener before becoming a joint convener in the reorganised committee.

Her resignation drew reactions from former interim government adviser Mahfuj Alam and former NCP leader Tasnim Jara. In a Facebook post, Mahfuj criticised what he called a smear campaign against Samanta and urged recognition of those who helped establish the National Citizen Committee.

Jara praised Samanta’s dedication and willingness to listen, saying people like her deserved a greater role in politics.

“There is no shortage of people who want to speak in politics, but very few are willing to listen,” she wrote.
Samanta’s departure has also renewed attention to the exits or reduced political activities of other prominent women leaders, raising questions about the gap between the NCP’s stated commitment to equality and women’s empowerment and its internal practices.

NCP’s separate programmes raise questions

Despite criticism, NCP leaders say the party wants to strengthen its independent organisational and political identity without ending its understanding with Jamaat.

The party has recently held separate programmes, including a mass protest in Shahbagh, and indicated plans to contest local government elections under its own banner. The absence of several senior NCP leaders from a Dhaka-Khulna road march organised under the 11-party alliance banner also fuelled speculation about differences between the partners.

NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tusher told the Daily Sun that the party would continue its own programmes while maintaining organisational independence from Jamaat, as well as participate in joint alliance programmes.

He said the separate initiatives were part of broader efforts to strengthen the party's organisation and political activities, not merely preparations for local government elections.

Another joint convener, Pritam Das, said there was no decision to end the electoral understanding with Jamaat. The parties had agreed on several political demands and were jointly campaigning on those issues while remaining separate organisations.

“We certainly want to establish ourselves as a strong independent political force. From that perspective, we believe we need to pay greater attention to our own political activities and initiatives,” he said.

Pritam said the NCP did not always agree with Jamaat's activities and had the right to express its views or raise objections. He added that no final decision or directive had been issued on leaving the alliance.

On local government elections, he said alliance partners had discussed contesting under their respective party identities, as a common electoral understanding for municipalities and union parishads could be difficult to achieve.

Analyst sees loose alliance

Political analyst Prof Dr Sabbir Ahmed described the NCP-Jamaat understanding as a loose alliance from the outset, requiring neither agreement on every issue nor joint participation in all programmes.

“The alliance between the NCP and Jamaat is a kind of loose alliance from the very beginning. It was never an arrangement in which they had to do everything together or follow the same programmes. They had reached an understanding on certain issues concerning elections and reforms,” he told the Daily Sun.

He said the NCP had maintained a separate identity since its formation, making its recent emphasis on independent activities nothing new.

However, the party's diverse ideological background could create internal tensions, with different groups developing closer ties with different political forces, he added.

Referring to the NCP's earlier understanding with the State Reform Movement and subsequent electoral alliance with Jamaat, Prof Sabbir said its political course reflected changing calculations. The entry of former Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir activists could also intensify tensions over ideological and political differences.

He said parties including the BNP might prefer to see the NCP remain outside an alliance with Jamaat. However, he cautioned that the departure of NCP leaders and activists could not be attributed solely to political calculations, as personal disagreements and dissatisfaction had also played a role.