Abdul Qader, former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and ex-convener of Dhaka University’s unit of Jatiya Chhartra Shakti, the student wing of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has criticised the party for moving towards an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami.
In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, Qader alleged that the proposed alliance signals “the burial of youth politics.”
“So many young people abandoned stable careers and family lives to take responsibility for the country, to build hope and dream of change,” he wrote. “Last night, Nahid Islam and others buried that dream.”
Qader claimed the move would see NCP absorbed into Jamaat-e-Islami, betraying the aspirations of the party’s grassroots activists and supporters.
“Disregarding the expectations of people and party workers across the country, NCP has taken this suicidal decision solely to serve the interests of a handful of leaders,” he said.
He also outlined what he described as the terms of the proposed alliance. According to Qader, NCP initially demanded 50 parliamentary seats from Jamaat-e-Islami, which was later reduced to 30 after negotiations.
Under the agreement, he alleged, NCP would refrain from fielding candidates in the remaining 270 constituencies and instead support Jamaat candidates.
Qader further claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami would provide NCP with Tk 1.5 crore per seat to cover election expenses.
He added that under the arrangement, Nahid Islam would become prime minister if the alliance wins the upcoming national election, or leader of the opposition if it does not.
