NCP shifts focus to grassroots politics beyond party office-centric programmes

Meetings, seminars, conventions, party office-centric programmes, or press conferences—these had so far been the familiar forms of organisational activities for the National Citizen Party (NCP). The party is now preparing to change that approach.

From after the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, the NCP plans to become more active at the grassroots. Party leaders may be seen speaking out on various public issues, including commodity prices, fuel, civic services, and the rights of workers and professionals.

Discussions with four leaders at the party’s policymaking level gave an idea about this upcoming shift in NCP’s activities. According to them, building a strong standalone presence in politics is now the party’s main objective. With local government elections ahead the party that emerged through the July mass uprising wants to increase its field-level political activities to achieve that goal.

NCP Convener Nahid Islam also gave a similar indication last Saturday at the first founding anniversary programme of the party’s youth wing, Jatiya Jubo Shakti. He urged the organisation to reduce “indoor” programmes and become more active in field-level activities after Eid.

According to two reliable leaders of the NCP, since the party’s formation on 28 February 2025, most of its programmes have centred on reforms and justice.

However, the party has been comparatively less active at the grassroots on issues affecting people’s daily lives, such as rising fuel and commodity prices, difficulties in accessing civic services, and the rights of workers and professionals. In their view, to become a people’s party, it must also stand beside people in their everyday struggles.

One NCP policymaker assessed that opposition parties in the current National Parliament did not speak out strongly enough on people’s day-to-day hardships during the first parliamentary session. The NCP wants to capitalise on that political opportunity.

The party has representation in parliament and several nationally recognised leaders. Party leaders believe that by increasing field-level activities and consistently speaking on issues affecting citizens’ lives, the NCP can quickly become a trusted political force among the public.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, a top party leader said, “From after Eid, we will take to the field level on various public issues and raise our voice. Our goal is to establish an independent political position.”

NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adeeb said, “After Eid, the NCP will become active in the field on various issues related to reforms and public engagement.”

The National Citizen Party (NCP), which emerged as a party through the July mass uprising, contested the 13th National Parliamentary Election held last February as part of the 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

The party fielded candidates in 30 constituencies and won six seats. In another 17 constituencies, NCP candidates were the closest rivals to winning Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidates.

The party is now focusing on the upcoming local government elections. However, it is still unclear whether the NCP will contest independently or as part of the 11-party alliance. The government has indicated that local government elections may begin towards the end of this year. The NCP sees the elections to be important for its organisational expansion.

Ahead of the local government polls, the NCP is now concentrating on organisational restructuring and party expansion. As part of that effort, several individuals have formally joined the party in phases since April. The list includes expelled BNP leader Ishak Sarker and former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami’s son Mohammad Nadimur Rahman.

Party sources say the NCP wants to attract leaders and activists from different levels of BNP, including expelled figures.

Even there is internal discussion within the party about bringing in leaders and activists from the Awami League, whose activities remain banned, provided they are not involved in crimes. The party is also considering nominating organisationally capable individuals from among them in the local government elections.

The NCP leadership is also maintaining contact with leaders who resigned from the party ahead of the parliamentary election over its electoral understanding with the 11-party alliance, including Jamaat. At least 17 leaders resigned at the time. However, party sources say most of them are unlikely to return.

Meanwhile, Mahfuj Alam, one of the key leaders of the July mass uprising and a former adviser to the interim government, remains close to the NCP’s top leadership but has not joined the party. Instead, he has formed a new platform called Alternatives.

Most recently, he drew attention with a Facebook post on Tuesday night regarding the Awami League. The essence of the post was that the Awami League, whose activities were banned after the July mass uprising, had effectively returned to the country’s political scene.

To support his argument, the former liaison committee member of the anti-discrimination student movement that led the uprising cited several relevant developments. Even NCP leaders, once his political associates, are trying to understand why Mahfuj suddenly published such a post.

On 29 March, the NCP in a press conference announced party candidates for the mayoral posts in five city corporations, including Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Later, on 10 May, the party also announced candidates for elections in 100 upazilas and municipalities across the country.

However, signs of tension are emerging between the NCP and Jamaat over the DSCC mayoral race. The NCP has nominated Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, while Jamaat has finalised DUCSU vice-president Mohammad Abu Shadik as its candidate. The possible contest between the two student leaders of the July mass uprising is also being widely discussed on social media.

Sources from the NCP say that tension surrounding the Dhaka South City Corporation candidacy has cast doubts that the alliance might not hold for the local government elections. However, the party’s current position is to prepare independently for now and decide on any alliance before the elections.

Ariful Islam, a member of the NCP’s political council, told Prothom Alo that they are preparing for the local government elections in their own way. A decision on whether there will be an alliance will be taken before the elections.

A senior party leader speaking on condition of anonymity said, “The 11-party alliance was for the national elections. It is now functioning as an opposition bloc in parliament. Essentially, it is a parliamentary alliance on reform issues.”

“Any alliance in local government elections would have to be formed anew. We have not formed any alliance at the local level. We are moving independently. We do not know what they (Jamaat) want. We have not yet spoken with them on this matter,” added the leader.

Toward the end of the first session of the National Parliament, on 29 April, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman proposed forming a special parliamentary committee aimed at constitutional amendment. He called for the opposition to submit five names to the committee.

However, on that day, leader of the opposition in parliament, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shafiqur Rahman said they have conceptual differences regarding the formation of the committee and that they would announce their decision after internal discussions.

The NCP, a partner in the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, is not interested in joining the constitutional amendment committee. The party supports constitutional reform rather than amendment. Its position is that reforms should be carried out through a Constitutional Reform Commission.

The NCP argues that amendments through a parliamentary committee would lead only to limited changes, whereas fundamental reforms, in line with a referendum mandate, require a Constitutional Reform Commission.

Jamaat and the 11-party alliance have been carrying out a series of programmes demanding implementation of the referendum mandate on reforms. In a recent dialogue, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said a Constitutional Reform Commission is necessary for fundamental changes to the constitution.

The party is currently prioritising issues such as the formation of an upper house, appointment of a caretaker government, appointments to constitutional bodies like the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Election Commission, as well as an independent judiciary.

Jamaat has not yet officially announced whether it will participate in the proposed constitutional amendment committee. However, an NCP policymaker and member of parliament, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo, “We are not participating in the constitutional amendment committee.”

Local government elections, relations with Jamaat, and constitutional reform—these three issues now poses major political tests for the NCP. Through its plan to become active on the field level after Eid, the party wants to increase public engagement on the one hand, while on the other, it seeks to assert its distinct political position even from within the alliance.