The NCP was born of revolution, then aligned with Jamaat-e-Islami. Will that partnership outlast the election?
Perhaps the toughest decision the National Citizen Party (NCP) has made since its inception is forming an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami for the 13th national election held on February 12, a year and a half after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
An 11-party electoral alliance, including the NCP, was formed for the election under the leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami. JI played a controversial role during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, when it opposed Bangladesh’s independence and coordinated with Pakistani forces. The alliance with Jamaat thus engendered severe criticism for the NCP, both internally and externally. Several leaders and activists even resigned from the party after the decision was undertaken.
After the election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) formed the government following a landslide victory, winning 209 seats (and another three were secured by its allies). Meanwhile, JI became the main opposition after securing 68 seats, the second-highest total. The JI-led coalition as a whole won 77 seats.
Out of the 300 constituencies, the NCP fielded candidates for only 30 seat
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