A youth-driven political party born from Bangladesh’s 2024 Monsoon Revolution is facing a widening internal revolt after agreeing to an election alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, a move that critics inside the party say threatens its identity ahead of the February 12 national polls.
At least 30 senior members of the National Citizen Party have publicly opposed the deal announced Sunday, and several have resigned.
The NCP was formed earlier this year by leaders of the mass protests that toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The party, led largely by Gen-Z activists, had presented itself as a reformist alternative to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the traditionally conservative Jamaat.
NCP chief Nahid Islam said Sunday that the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old activist who became a symbol of last year’s uprising, pushed the party to seek broader electoral protection.
“The dictatorship we overthrew is attempting to sabotage the election,” Islam said at a press conference. “Therefore, for the sake of greater unity, we have reached an electoral understanding with Jamaat.” He added that the decision reflected a majority view within the leadership, though he acknowledged internal dissent.
Analysts say the alliance represents a dramatic realignment in a political landscape reshaped by the ban on the Awami League and the return of Jamaat to electoral politics after restrictions were lifted last August.
“The NCP presented itself as a youth-driven alternative to traditional power structures. That identity is now under serious strain,” said H.M. Nazmul Alam, an academic. “Youth-based movements do not collapse only because they lose elections. They collapse when they lose clarity and internal unity.”
The backlash has been swift. Among those resigning is physician Tasnim Jara, a senior NCP leader who left her medical career in Britain to join the party.
“I promised you and the people of this country that I would fight for you and for building a new political culture,” she wrote on Facebook. “Whatever the circumstances, I am determined to keep that promise.” Jara said she will run as an independent in Dhaka.
Another influential figure distancing himself from the NCP is Mahfuz Alam, a leader of the 2024 July Uprising who has been regarded as an ideological guide within the broader movement. In a Facebook post Sunday, Alam wrote, “I am not becoming part of this NCP,” adding that maintaining his long-held positions mattered more than contesting an election on the alliance’s ticket.
The memorandum signed by 30 NCP leaders argued that partnering with Jamaat contradicts the party’s values and the spirit of the uprising that brought it to prominence. It cited Jamaat’s history, including its opposition to the 1971 independence war, and accused its student wing of attempting to infiltrate youth organizations.
Political analyst Asif Shahan said the partnership risks erasing the NCP’s core identity. “If you go with Jamaat, it will help Jamaat, not you,” he said. “It will give them a liberal cover, and in return, you will become a force for the right. Your centrist idea and ideology will simply vanish.”
Before the deal, polling showed Jamaat in a competitive second place behind the BNP, with the NCP trailing in third. The shift toward Jamaat, analysts say, signals the party’s struggle to transform its street-driven momentum into nationwide electoral strength.
Islam said Sunday that the party remains committed to the goals of the Monsoon Revolution but must adapt to electoral realities.
“This was a majority decision,” he said. “Some may be opposed to it and they are free to take their own decisions.”
The revolt underscores the volatility of Bangladesh’s political transition and highlights the challenges facing youth-led movements across the region, including in Nepal, where similar protests have reshaped national politics ahead of March elections.