Alliance of NCP, Gono Odhikar Parishad, AB Party and 2 others put on hold

Talks on a possible electoral alliance between the National Citizen Party (NCP), Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Rashtro Songskar Andolon, and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) have been put on hold for now.

Whether they will eventually form an alliance will only become clear after the election schedule for the national parliamentary polls is announced.

This alliance was supposed to be formally launched on Thursday afternoon, Thursday, at the Shaheed Abu Sayed Convention Centre in Shahbagh.

But late last night, leaders of the NCP, AB Party, Gono Odhikar Parishad, and Rashtro Songskar Andolon held a long meeting, where the NCP strongly objected to one particular issue.

In addition, there are divisions among the leaders of Gono Odhikar Parishad regarding joining the alliance. These two factors mainly prevented the finalisation of the alliance discussions.

Since Wednesday afternoon, the NCP Executive Council discussed the pros and cons of joining such an electoral alliance for nearly four hours.

Most leaders expressed a positive attitude toward the alliance. However, a majority objected to including UP Bangladesh (United People Bangladesh)—a political platform formed by some former leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir—within the alliance.

Later, from 10:00pm onward, NCP leaders held a meeting with Gono Odhikar Parishad leaders at a location inside Rupayan Trade Centre, Banglamotor.

Representing the NCP were Convener Nahid Islam, Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, Chief Organisers Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, and Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary.

Representing Gano Odhikar Parishad were its President Nurul Haque, General Secretary Rashed Khan, Senior Joint General Secretary Hasan Al Mamun, Senior Vice President Faruk Hasan, and Higher Council members Abu Hanif and Shahidul Islam.

Sources say Gono Odhikar Parishad leaders asked whether any outline or framework for the alliance had been drafted.

NCP leaders replied that it had not yet been prepared. Some leaders of Gono Odhikar Parishad questioned the rush to announce the alliance and called for more time to discuss it.

They also said that talks could have begun earlier. At one point, Gono Odhikar Parishad leaders even raised the possibility of merging the party with the NCP.

According to meeting sources, Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Rashed Khan took the firmest position on these matters. Asked about the discussions, Rashed told Prothom Alo, “We held preliminary talks about forming an alliance. No decision has been made yet.”

Around 1:00am, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman and Rastra Sangskar Andolon President Hasnat Kaiyum joined the discussions between NCP and Gono Odhikar Parishad leaders.

The meeting lasted until 3:30am. But as several issues remained unresolved, the meeting ended without a decision.

Later on Thursday morning, NCP’s Media Cell Secretary Mushfiq-us-Salehin informed journalists that the alliance would not be announced today. Talks are ongoing, and once finalised, the announcement will be made officially.

A top leader of one of the political groups involved told this reporter that the process stalled mainly for two reasons: the NCP’s strong opposition to including UP Bangladesh, and internal divisions among Gono Odhikar Parishad leaders regarding joining the alliance.

Asked for comment, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman told Prothom Alo that discussions are ongoing among the NCP, AB Party, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Rastra Songskar Andolon, and JSD to form a political alliance, which will transform into an electoral coalition. If the alliance materialises, he said, it will happen before the election schedule is announced.