NCP forms 4 organisations, 2 more in the pipeline

The National Citizen Party (NCP) is seeking to expand into professional spheres in a bid to strengthen its position in national politics.

The party, formed by young leaders who led the July uprising, has already established two associate bodies and two affiliated organisations. Two more associate organisations are set to be launched soon.

As associate organisations of the National Citizen Party, Jatiya Chhatra Shakti and Jatiya Sramik Shakti have already been launched, while Jatiya JuboShokti and Jatiya Nari Shakti have been formed as affiliated organisations. Jatiya Krishak Shakti and Jatiya Swechchhasebok Shakti are next in line.

The National Citizen Party was launched as a political party on 28 February 2025, seven months after the July uprising. It later contested the 13th national parliament election and won six seats. Although the party initially aimed to contest the election independently, it later joined an electoral alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami and competed in around 30 constituencies.

Amid discussions over the party’s limited success in the election, the National Citizen Party has stepped up efforts to form professional-based associate organisations after the polls. Like mainstream political parties in Bangladesh that have student, youth, labour, farmer and volunteer wings, the party is now moving in the same direction.

Many of the frontline coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, who led the July uprising, were previously involved in a student organisation called Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti. A few days after the uprising’s victory, they suspended the activities of this organisation.

In February last year, a group of these former coordinators launched the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sansad as a student organisation.

Although this effectively functions as the National Citizen Party’s student wing, its members were hesitant to publicly identify it as such.

The Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sansad failed to gain much traction as a student organisation. After a poor performance in the Dhaka University Central Student Union (DUCSU) election on 9 September last year, discussions began to reorganise the organisation. At a conference, the National Citizen Party proposed a change of name and advised that the organisation be formally recognised as the party’s student wing.

Accordingly, on 23 October last year, the organisation was renamed Chhatra Shakti. It now identifies itself as an associate organisation of the National Citizen Party.

Zahid Ahsan was appointed president of Chhatra Shakti, and Abu Bakar Majumdar, who had held the same position in the student council, became general secretary. The organisation currently has a 122-member central committee, with branch committees across various educational institutions.

To work with the youth, Jatiya JuboShokti was formed on 16 May last year. The organisation’s convener is Tarikul Islam, and its secretary-general is Jahedul Islam. Tarikul is a Supreme Court lawyer, while Jahedul is a physician by profession. The central committee of JuboShokti consists of 134 members.

Sramik Shakti was launched on 17 October last year. The organisation currently has a 101-member convening committee. Mazharul Islam Fakir, a former student of Rajshahi University, serves as convener, and Riaz Morshed, a former student of Dhaka University, is secretary-general.

On 8 March, International Women’s Day, Nari Shakti was officially launched. Initially, the organisation has a three-member convening committee, with Monira Sharmin as convener, Mahmuda Alam Mitu as secretary-general, and Nusrat Tabassum as chief organiser. The committee will soon form a full committee and draft the organisation’s constitution.

NCP is forming farmer and volunteer wings. The party’s chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari plays a key role in organising these affiliated groups.

He told Prothom Alo that Jatiya Krishak Shakti could be formally launched soon.

In addition, NCP joint general secretary Alauddin Mohammad said that work is underway to form the Jatiya Swechchhasebak Shakti.

He told Prothom Alo that the organisation is currently being structured.

Beyond Nari Shakti, Chhatra Shakti, JuboShakti and Sramik Shakti, NCP has other groups for professionals at various levels.

Among them, the National Professional Alliance was launched last December. There is the National Health Alliance for NCP-supported physicians, the University Teachers Forum for university lecturers, the National Lawyers Council and the Tax Lawyers Alliance for lawyers, the National Ulama Alliance for religious scholars, the Engineering Wing for engineers, and the Diploma Engineering Wing for diploma engineers.