Strain Between NCP and Jamaat Over Local Elections, Both Sides Dismiss Talk of a Split
Distance has grown between the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Jamaat-e-Islami over the local government elections, fielding candidates in Dhaka's two city corporations, and recent political positions. Against this backdrop, the absence of NCP convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam from a programme of the 11-party unity has further fuelled speculation that the party may leave the alliance. However, leaders of both parties are for now dismissing the possibility of the unity breaking up.
According to several NCP leaders, the strain between the two parties began with Jamaat's position against contesting the upcoming local government elections as an alliance. The NCP is particularly unhappy with Jamaat's decision to contest the two Dhaka city corporation elections alone without giving concessions to its partners. The NCP is also questioning the conduct of Jamaat's defeated candidate in the Thakurgaon by-election and the party's positions on various national issues.
Nahid Islam did not take part in the inaugural ceremony of the 11-party unity's long march on 31 October. Before that, on 30 October, criticism of Jamaat's recent position also surfaced in speeches by NCP leader Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan at Shahbagh and Hasnat Abdullah in Khulna. Both leaders criticised Jamaat's role in the Thakurgaon by-election.
In addition, a section of the NCP views differently the Jamaat amir's statement in parliament that the government did not create the fuel and power crisis. They suspect that because Jamaat was in an alliance with the BNP for a long time, some form of understanding may still exist between the two parties. As a result, questions have also arisen inside the NCP about how effective a role Jamaat is playing as the main opposition party against the government.
An NCP joint member secretary, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, 'In fact, the BNP and Jamaat were together for a long time in the past. So even if they now practise opposing politics, there may indirectly be some kind of understanding between them. There is no scope to dismiss that as entirely baseless.' He said that for this reason Jamaat has not been able to take a strong position on the deterioration of law and order and the ongoing unrest in the garment industry.
Asked whether Nahid Islam skipped the 11-party long march because of suspicions about the BNP and Jamaat, Mawlana Hasan Junaid, publicity secretary of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, a partner of the 11-party unity, said, 'It does not seem to be like that. But there is talk of a psychological conflict over whether Jamaat would support Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan in one of Dhaka's cities.' He added that no partner party viewed positively the incident of Jamaat's defeated candidate garlanding the BNP's winning candidate after losing the Thakurgaon by-election.
A central NCP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the distance with Jamaat has mainly been created by the party's go-it-alone policy on local government elections. He said, 'The main strain and distance between the two parties started from the bargaining over city corporation elections.' The leader said the NCP wants concessions in at least three cities, including one in Dhaka. An informal meeting between the two parties was held in mid-September on the matter, where the NCP remained firm on getting a concession in at least one of Dhaka's two cities. Jamaat, however, made it clear that no concession would be given to partners in any Dhaka city.
Meanwhile, Jamaat has announced former Shibir president Selim Uddin in Dhaka North and Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) vice-president Abu Sadik Kayem in Dhaka South. Both candidates are campaigning in full swing. Jamaat had agreed to give the NCP concessions in Cumilla and Mymensingh, but the NCP rejected that proposal. Meanwhile, the NCP has named its senior joint convener Nasiruddin Patwari as candidate in Dhaka South and senior joint member secretary Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan in Dhaka North.
On the other hand, the NCP did not take kindly to the defeated Jamaat candidate in the 29 October Thakurgaon by-election eating sweets and accepting a floral garland from the BNP's winning candidate. Jamaat's failure to protest strongly over allegations of irregularities in the election also drew criticism from the party. NCP senior joint member secretary Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan voiced strong protest over the matter at the party's mass demonstration at Shahbagh on Friday (30 October). Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists also reacted negatively on social media over the issue.
Central NCP leaders have dismissed talk of a split in the 11-party unity as rumour. At a National Jubo Shakti event in the capital on 1 November, the party's senior joint convener Nasiruddin Patwari said, 'Many are trying to spread rumours that distance is being created in the 11-party alliance. We have no such apprehension. The matter came to the fore because our party chief did not participate in the latest long march. Before this, other leaders of the alliance also could not join various programmes. Someone may be ill, someone may have other work. There is no rule that everyone's participation in every programme is mandatory. So I do not think there is any basis to such rumours.'
NCP joint convener Mahabub Alam said the same. He said, 'Although there are disagreements on some issues, the kind of rumour being spread that the NCP will now separate from the 11 parties is not correct.' He said the 11 parties' movement is growing stronger on various issues, including implementing the July Charter and the referendum verdict. According to him, the relevance of this unity is increasing further because of the government's failures.
Leaders of the main partner, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, also claim the news of the NCP leaving the 11-party unity is baseless. The party's central executive committee member and Dhaka-12 MP Saiful Alam Khan Milon said, 'In a political alliance or unity platform, different parties may have different opinions. They may have separate strategies. We see this in the politics of our neighbour India as well. But unity cannot break just because of differences of opinion.' He acknowledged that the NCP is more interested in contesting local government elections jointly and wants concessions in some places. But Jamaat has conveyed that in local government elections, all parties can participate separately.
Saiful Alam Khan Milon said, 'Because there are more parties with us. If seats are given to the NCP there, others will also demand them. So we have stated our position. In particular, although the current ruling party BNP was in an alliance with us for a long time, they too did not give us concessions in the cities. That has also been conveyed to the NCP. They have already announced their party candidates. So for now there is no apprehension of a crack in our unity.'
