Dhaka: The main leader of last year’s violent uprising that toppled the then government in Bangladesh, Mahfuz Alam, on Sunday distanced himself from his disciples under the National Citizen Party (NCP) banner 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.
The memorandum has expressed concerns over the NCP’s alliance with the Jamaat, stating that it conflicts with the party’s declared ideology and stance regarding the July Uprising and democratic ethics.
The fierce 2024 violent street campaign, dubbed the July Uprising, was carried out under the banner of the Students against Discrimination (SAD), and a large offshoot of the platform in February this year emerged as the NCP with interim government chief Muhammad Yunus’ blessings.
The memorandum submitted by the leaders pointed out the Jamaat’s controversial political history, particularly its role against Bangladesh’s independence and alleged collaboration in genocide and crimes during the 1971 Liberation War, describing these as fundamentally incompatible with Bangladesh’s democratic spirit and the NCP’s core values.
The memo has alleged that the Jamaat’s student wing, Chhatra Shibir, in recent past infiltrated and sabotaged other parties in its efforts to blame the NCP for various incidents and spread misinformation and propaganda.
It has warned that the planned alliance with the Jamaat would undermine the NCP’s political credibility and public trust, creating confusion and disappointment among “many of our activists and supporters, especially among the younger generation and ordinary citizens who support new politics”.
Notably, the NCP is yet to make any formal announcement regarding its alliance with Jamaat for the upcoming polls. However, Dhaka-based Daily Star and Prothom Alo have reported that the NCP is engaged in seat-sharing talks with Jamaat.
The Daily Star newspaper reported that the NCP is likely to finalise a seat-sharing deal with the Jamaat within the next one or two days. Jamaat’s secretary, General Mia Golam Parwar, told the newspaper that their discussions with the NCP are underway on a one-on-one basis and “there is a possibility of sharing seats, and the issue will become clear very soon”.
The “Prothom Alo” newspaper had reported earlier that the possibility of a seat-sharing deal between the NCP and former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was discussed, “but no understanding was reached.” “Since then, NCP talks with Jamaat have progressed positively,” the report read.
