Bangladesh polls: 14 top NCP leaders resign following alliance with Jamaat
Dhaka, Jan 3 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) As Bangladesh heads towards its 13th Parliamentary election in February, the National Citizen Party (NCP) is facing internal turmoil, after 14 central leaders of the party resigned following the party’s alliance with the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, local media reported.
A section within the NCP reportedly views the alliance with Jamaat as a deeply anti-ideological and politically ‘suicidal decision’, leading to a wave of resignations, while many of the top leaders within the party have become inactive.
Simultaneously, a debate has emerged in the political circles over the income disclosed in the election affidavit of NCP convener Nahid Islam, Bangladeshi Bengali daily Jugantor reported.
Meanwhile, beyond the political arena, people involved in the July 2024 demonstrations, including families of the deceased and those who were injured, reportedly stated that since the electoral agreement with Jamaat was reached, resignations have continued across the NCP, from the central leadership to various districts and divisional city leaders.
Reports suggest that several top leaders of NCP rejected the party’s decision to ally with Jamaat and have withdrawn from the election-related activities.
Meanwhile, speaking to Jugantor, several NCP leaders on Friday indicated that the number of resignations from the party is set to rise sharply, with more leaders engaged in internal discussions about stepping down.
Many senior leaders who have already resigned have said that the party, formed out of the July 2024 demonstrations and the blood of the students and the masses, is now deceiving the July protestors and the common people.
Another family member of a deceased during the July demonstrations, on condition of anonymity, said, “Such disintegration and resignations in the NCP are making our demands uncertain. The government has not implemented most of the promises it made earlier. We are not getting assurances of cooperation even from the NCP, which is known as a pro-July political party. The party’s prestige is declining day by day.”
Several NCP leaders have alleged that the decision to ally with Jamaat was driven primarily by two “special” figures within the party, sidelining the majority of the central leadership.
“Although I have not resigned, I have already distanced myself from all the party’s activities. Some top party leaders have said in unison that I should at least not resign. If I resign, most of the leaders leading the NCP in the central, divisional and various districts of the party will resign simultaneously,” said a senior leader of the NCP, speaking to Jugantor on Friday.
As the internal rift widens, many leaders within the NCP have turned inactive, while several declared and potential candidates for various seats in the upcoming elections have also reportedly begun announcing their resignations.
Bangladesh elections scheduled for February 12 are unfolding among escalating political tensions, with dissatisfaction within the NCP intensifying over its decision to align with Jamaat in the upcoming polls.
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