Chicago – December 28, 2025
Bangladesh’s newly formed student-led National Citizens’ Party (NCP) has entered an electoral alliance with the Islamist Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and several smaller partners ahead of next year’s national polls, reshaping the country’s post-Hasina political landscape.
Alliance details
The NCP, born out of the protest movement that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, agreed to seat-sharing arrangements with Jamaat and other parties in a bid to consolidate opposition votes against the established Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party blocs.
Nahid Islam, the NCP’s convener, said the alliance was formed to “unite all forces” seeking a new democratic order, while Jamaat leaders framed the pact as an opportunity to restore political pluralism after years of one-party dominance.
Reactions and implications
Rights activists and secular groups criticised the tie-up, warning that partnering with Jamaat – long accused of opposing Bangladesh’s 1971 independence and facing a ban from contesting elections – risks undermining the NCP’s pro-rights credentials.
Analysts said the alliance could boost the NCP’s organisational strength but may alienate urban youth supporters who drove the anti-Hasina protests and expected a clear break from Islamist-influenced politics.
