NCP in Turmoil as Seat Deal Talks with Jamaat Trigger Internal Backlash

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has plunged into internal turmoil while attempting to reach a seat-sharing arrangement with Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election. A section of the party’s central leadership has reacted sharply, with resignations already submitted from within its top policy forum.

After negotiations with Jamaat reportedly reached an advanced stage, senior joint member secretary and political council member Tasnim Jara announced her departure from the party on Saturday evening. Earlier, on Thursday, Mir Arshadul Haque—widely known as a leading anti-Jamaat voice within NCP—also resigned.

On Saturday evening, 30 party leaders submitted a memorandum to NCP Convener Nahid Islam, raising what they described as “fundamental objections” to any potential alliance. In the document, they warned that partnering with Jamaat would undermine NCP’s moral position and cause lasting damage to its political credibility. They argued that such a move would confuse and disappoint party activists, supporters, and especially young voters who had backed NCP’s promise of a new, centrist political alternative. The memorandum cautioned that NCP’s independent moderate political identity would be seriously weakened.

NCP was launched on 28 February with a pledge to promote centrist politics. When election-focused discussions began in October, the party initially opened talks with BNP regarding seat-sharing.

In their appeal to the party convener, the 30 leaders urged a clear and public stance against entering any political alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. They stressed that strategy should follow principle—not the other way around—and warned against sacrificing ideological commitments for short-term electoral calculations.

Among the signatories were Joint Conveners Khaled Saifullah and Nusrat Tabassum, Joint Member Secretary Mushfiq Us Salehin, SM Saif Mostafiz, Joint Chief Organizer Sadia Farzana Dina, Joint Chief Coordinator Abdullah Al Faisal, northern region organizer Dyuti Aranya Chowdhury, and members Tawhid Tanjim and Syeda Nilima Dola.

According to multiple sources, NCP leaders held both direct and indirect discussions with senior BNP figures several times, but talks ultimately stalled over unresolved demands. There were also efforts to engage BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman after his return to the country, but those attempts did not materialize.

During this period, NCP and the AB Party were both mentioned in discussions about potential seat-sharing arrangements with BNP and Jamaat. However, another alliance partner, the State Reform Movement, refused to align with either major bloc. This led to the formation of a separate centrist alliance involving NCP, AB Party, and the State Reform Movement. That three-party platform—named the Democratic Reform Alliance—was formally launched on 7 December.

As electoral calculations intensified, NCP leadership increasingly prioritized reaching an understanding with one of the two major parties. When prospects with BNP faded, NCP turned its attention to Jamaat-e-Islami. This shift has now placed the newly formed alliance under strain, as the State Reform Movement remains unwilling to join any arrangement involving Jamaat or BNP.

Two senior policymakers within NCP confirmed that discussions with Jamaat have reached a near-final stage. They said talks with BNP yielded no concrete outcome, while negotiations with Jamaat recently progressed significantly. Taking various electoral factors into account, the party leadership has, in principle, decided to move forward with Jamaat.

A senior NCP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity and identified as a potential candidate, said the leadership had already informed him that the deal with Jamaat was almost finalized. Another source confirmed that NCP representatives met Jamaat leaders in Dhaka as recently as Friday night, where seat allocation was discussed.

Asked about the matter, NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain said discussions with Jamaat are ongoing, with reform implementation being the central focus. He added that political issues, responsibilities, surrounding circumstances, and potential seat distribution are all under consideration.

Talks Over 30 Seats

Party insiders say NCP initially sought 50 seats in negotiations with Jamaat. Jamaat reportedly offered 30. After further talks, NCP largely accepted the proposal and prepared a preliminary list of around 30 potential candidates.

If the agreement is finalized, Jamaat is expected to support NCP Convener Nahid Islam in Dhaka-11 and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain in Rangpur-4. Other leaders likely to receive backing include Hasnat Abdullah (Cumilla-4), Sarjis Alam (Panchagarh-1), Ariful Islam Adib (Dhaka-16), Nasiruddin Patwary (Dhaka-18), and Abdul Hannan Masud (Noakhali-6). Tasnim Jara was also being considered for Dhaka-9 before announcing her resignation and decision to run as an independent.

The name of Asif Mahmud has also surfaced as a possible candidate under the proposed arrangement.

Asif in, Mahfuj Out

A senior party official said discussions are ongoing about former interim government adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan joining NCP. He applied to become a voter in Dhaka-10 on 9 November and collected nomination papers for that seat on 22 December. On Saturday, someone also collected nomination papers on his behalf for Cumilla-3. His name is reportedly included in the Jamaat-NCP discussions.

However, former adviser Mahfuj Alam is not part of these talks. As of Saturday, there was no confirmed information on whether he plans to contest the election or whether he would do so independently or under a party banner.

On 10 December, NCP announced candidates in 125 constituencies, leaving the remaining seats vacant. According to party sources, if the Jamaat deal is finalized, NCP will not field candidates outside the agreed 30-seat framework.