Bangladesh’s NCP Joins Jamaat-Led Alliance Ahead of 2026 Polls, Triggers Internal Revolt

Bangladesh's National Citizen Party (NCP), born from the student-led July Uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina, has formally joined a Jamaat-e-Islami-led electoral alliance ahead of the February 12, 2026 general elections. The decision, announced on December 28, 2025, expands Jamaat's existing eight-party bloc into a larger coalition, but it has ignited fierce internal opposition within the youth-driven party.

NCP convenor Nahid Islam defended the move as a pragmatic electoral strategy, insisting it involves no ideological alignment with the Islamist party. He cited the changed political landscape following the murder of Osman Hadi and the impracticality of contesting all 300 seats independently, emphasizing the need for broader unity to ensure fair polls. Earlier talks with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) failed, paving the way for negotiations with Jamaat.

Strong dissent emerged immediately, with around 30 senior NCP leaders submitting a memorandum objecting to the alliance on principled grounds. They argued it contradicts the party's core values from the July Uprising, highlighting Jamaat's historical opposition to Bangladesh's 1971 independence and alleged role in wartime atrocities, deeming such ties incompatible with democratic and secular principles.

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Resignations followed swiftly, including senior figures like joint convenor Tajnuva Jabeen and Tasnim Zara, who expressed profound disappointment over the "engineered" strategy. Many female leaders voiced particular opposition, warning that the pact would erode public trust and confuse supporters who backed the NCP's vision of new, reformist politics.

Adding to the turmoil, Mahfuz Alam, a key inspirational figure in the 2024 uprising often regarded as the NCP's ideological guide, publicly distanced himself in a Facebook post, declaring he would not join "this NCP" while affirming respect for his comrades. As the BNP emerges as frontrunner in the reshaped landscape without the banned Awami League, the NCP's controversial alliance risks fracturing its base ahead of the crucial vote.

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