Thirty NCP leaders have written to party convener Nahid Islam expressing their principled opposition to the formation of a National Citizens Party (NCP) alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. In the letter, they stated that such a political alliance will create confusion and disappointment among many NCP leaders and supporters, especially the young generation and the common people who believe in new-style politics.
The letter also said that they believe that joining an alliance for the sake of a limited number of seats is tantamount to cheating the nation.
The memorandum was submitted to convener Nahid Islam on Saturday (December 27). A total of 30 NCP leaders, including Mushfiqur Salehin, Khaled Saifullah, Saif Mostafiz, Nusrat Tabassum, signed it.
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In the memorandum, the leaders said that as members of the party's founding central committee, they want to clarify their deep concern and position on a very important policy issue. They have unequivocally objected to the recent discussions on political compromise or seat-sharing with the eight-party alliance including Jamaat-e-Islami. Behind this objection are the NCP's declared political ideology, historical responsibility surrounding the July mass uprising, and questions of democratic values.
The memorandum further mentioned that in the past one year after the July mass uprising, the divisive political activities of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student organization Chhatra Shibir, allegations of secret infiltration and sabotage within various political parties, attempts to blame the NCP for various misdeeds, and deliberate lies and propaganda surrounding the Bangladesh Democratic Students' Union (BAGHS) and later Chhatra Shakti surrounding the student union elections have reached a worrying level.
In addition, the memorandum also warned that attempts to defame female members of the NCP and related student organizations using their online networks and the fear of the rise of social fascism centered on religion are posing a serious threat to the future of the country.
In the letter, the leaders also said that Jamaat-e-Islami's political past—especially its anti-independence stance during the 1971 Great Liberation War, its collaboration in genocide, and its role in various crimes committed at that time—is in direct conflict with the democratic spirit of Bangladesh and the fundamental values of the NCP. According to them, as a political force formed through a democratic movement and mass uprising, the NCP's responsibility is to take the state and society forward on a path where human rights, religious tolerance, equal status of men and women, minority protection, civil rights, and above all democratic values remain intact. They also warned that any kind of political alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami will weaken this moral stance and will have a negative impact on the party's political credibility in the long run.
In the memorandum addressed to Nahid Islam, the leaders reminded that in the past, he and Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari have announced to contest the elections independently by fielding candidates for 300 seats on more than one occasion. It was also announced that the future politics would be conducted through the implementation of reforms by forming a 'Democratic Reform Alliance' based on consensus on the latest reform issue. At the same time, it was also mentioned that in the past, Nahid Islam himself had publicly exposed the duplicity of Jamaat-e-Islami on the reform issue on social media.
The letter also said that a few days ago, nomination papers were sold to about 1500 interested people by appealing to the people of the whole country and 125 candidates were announced through a two-day selection process. In this context, they termed entering into any political alliance for a few seats as cheating the nation.
The leaders said that such an alliance would create confusion and disappointment among the workers and supporters of the NCP and a large number of common people, especially the young generation, who have faith in new-style politics. This decision also conflicts with the trust of those who have stood by the NCP in the hope of principled, future-oriented and diverse politics. They expressed their concern and said that many workers, organizers and common people who had supported the party have expressed their intention to withdraw their support soon after the news of the possibility of an alliance came to the media. If the moderate and new political trend-seeking people turn away, then the NCP will lose its important support base in the future, which will not be beneficial for the party in the long run. As a result, they feel that the NCP's own moderate political position will also be damaged.
In the last part of the memorandum, the leaders respectfully requested the convener to consider these policy questions with utmost importance while deciding on any alliance policy of the party and to take a clear and unambiguous position on not entering into any political alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. According to them, strategy should be decided on the basis of policy, and sacrificing policy positions for strategic convenience is in no way acceptable.
These 30 NCP leaders said that they have expressed this position and opinion with full respect for party discipline and unity.
Author: Vk Das
