An intense debate has emerged within the National Citizen Party (NCP) after a senior leader openly questioned the seating arrangements at a recent event hosted by the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance.
The critique has reignited a fierce discussion regarding the party’s true commitment to gender-inclusive leadership, with critics arguing the setup symbolised the unequal treatment of women in modern politics.
The controversy was sparked by a photograph from the event showing male leaders dominating the main stage, whilst female leaders were positioned separately below them. While some NCP members viewed the arrangement as entirely inconsistent with the party’s branding as a progressive force for political change, others staunchly defended it. Proponents insisted it was a pragmatic, tactical decision taken strictly to ensure the comfort and security of female attendees at a heavily crowded roadside rally.
The sharply differing reactions have exposed deep-seated disagreements over how women’s participation and visibility ought to be reflected in public political spaces.
The internal friction burst into the public eye when Samantha Sharmin, the NCP’s Senior Joint Convener, criticised the event’s organisation by sharing the photograph on Facebook. In a highly critical post, she wrote, “Visual representation of first-class and second-class citizens of NCP. Down with Patriarchy.”
The image clearly depicted male alliance leaders seated prominently on the stage, whilst female participants were relegated to chairs in front of the platform.
Through her post, Sharmin suggested that the physical layout reflected a systemic hierarchy within the party, effectively portraying men as “first-class citizens” and women as secondary participants.
The post immediately polarised opinions. While some party members argued that such visual marginalisation must be vigorously protested and never tolerated, others rushed to defend the event, claiming the photograph was “wrongly framed” and that the female leaders involved felt neither uncomfortable nor diminished.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh on the condition of anonymity, a female NCP leader emphasised that women have been one of the party’s greatest strengths and primary symbols of political change since the movements in July.
“Many women saw the image as deeply disappointing,” she remarked. “If the NCP cannot ensure proper recognition and equal status for its own female leaders, it risks undermining the core values that made the party different in the first place.”
Monira Sharmin, Convener of Jatiya Nari Shakti, the NCP’s women’s wing, strongly rejected any assertions that the female leaders had been disrespected.
She explained that the central stage was strictly reserved for the party chiefs of the 11 alliance partners.
According to her, the NCP had deliberately requested a designated, separate space near the stage for its female leaders to shield them from potential harassment, overcrowding, or negative remarks.
“Our women leaders went there to represent the NCP. They are leaders, so why would we seat them among the general audience?” Sharmin told TIMES, adding that placing them directly behind senior male leaders on the stage would likely have triggered alternative criticisms. She maintained that the women actively participated and felt entirely secure. Furthermore, she dismissed allegations that the arrangement reflected institutional discrimination by the Islamist parties within the alliance, calling the uproar a “wrong framing” of a practical situation.
Providing context from the alliance’s perspective, Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, explained that the programme was organised on exceptionally short notice with severely limited space.
“It cannot be an issue who stands or sits at a roadside rally,” Zubair told TIMES, refuting claims of intentional discrimination. “Activists attend these programmes knowing that extensive facilities cannot be ensured. To my knowledge, there was no misunderstanding.”
However, political analysts suggest the dispute highlights unresolved structural questions. Mamun Al Mustofa, a professor of Political Science at the University of Dhaka, said that right-wing political forces in Bangladesh have historically lacked a clear stance on women’s leadership in public life.
He argued that the NCP’s alliance with these factions reflects a broader, systemic ambiguity.
“The real question is whether women can sit alongside men, participate in decision-making on genuinely equal terms, and share the exact same political platform,” Professor Mustofa concluded. “What we are witnessing is a direct reflection of an unresolved hesitation over women’s leadership and equal political participation.”
