DHAKA, Jan 12: Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party (NCP) is facing growing internal turmoil after forming an alliance with the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, as several leaders who quit the party have refused to return.
Dissident leaders say they will only reconsider their decision if the NCP breaks ties with Jamaat, rejecting claims by party leadership that reconciliation talks are underway.
At least 15 senior and mid-level leaders, including former senior joint member secretary Tasnim Jara and former joint convener Khaled Saifullah, have resigned, while six others have withdrawn from contesting the upcoming elections.
Several remaining leaders have become inactive in protest. NCP leaders insist they are reaching out to former members, but those who resigned have dismissed these claims as misleading and said their core ideological objections remain unaddressed.
Critics within the party have described the Jamaat alliance as undemocratic and premeditated.
The crisis comes as Bangladesh prepares for national elections on February 12, amid rising political tensions. (IANS)
