At a time when intense discussions are underway over a possible alliance between National Citizen Party (NCP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, Samantha Sharmin has said Jamaat is not a reliable political ally.
Sharmin, senior joint convener of the NCP, made the remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is not a dependable ally. I believe entering into any cooperation or understanding with Jamaat – considering its political stance and ideology – would force NCP to pay a heavy price,” she wrote.
Her comments come just days after NCP executive council, at a meeting held last Thursday, decided to pursue electoral understanding with Jamaat.
The following night, on Friday, top leaders of Jamaat and NCP held a meeting where they reportedly reached a final decision to contest the election together. An official announcement is expected on Sunday.
The disclosure of NCP’s decision sparked widespread debate and criticism.
At least 30 members of the party’s central committee submitted a memorandum to Convener Nahid Islam, demanding that NCP refrain from contesting the election alongside Jamaat. Meanwhile, reports emerged that NCP Senior Joint Member Secretary Tasnim Jara has announced plans to contest the election as an independent candidate, effectively parting ways with the party.
Against this backdrop, Samantha Sharmin took to Facebook to clarify her position.
In her post, she noted that Jamaat leaders had recently stated that any party could seek an alliance with Jamaat if they agreed on the “spirit of July” and shared a common vision for Bangladesh.
However, she argued that NCP’s core principles and vision for the state are fundamentally different from Jamaat’s.
“NCP has been formed around justice, reform, and a constituent assembly election leading to a Second Republic. Alignment on these three issues must be a prerequisite for any political alliance,” she said.
Samantha added that her current stance is consistent with NCP’s position over the past one and a half years.
She recalled that Jamaat had previously raised demands for proportional representation in the lower house, which she said hampered reform initiatives.
“As a result, NCP convener had stated that ‘there can be no alliance with those who are not in favour of reform,’” she wrote, adding that after the July march, the party announced plans to field single candidates in all 300 constituencies and to contest the election independently.
Samantha also clarified that raising concerns about an alliance with Jamaat does not mean she supports BNP or seeks an alliance with it.
“Rather, I believe the NCP’s positions – widely expressed and praised in various quarters over time – are correct, and I consider myself a soldier of that ideology. Any alliance with either BNP or Jamaat would mean deviating from NCP’s organisational and political policy,” she added.
