Samanta Sharmin quits NCP over Jamaat alliance

Samanta Sharmin has resigned from the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), accusing its leadership of abandoning the party’s founding principles, compromising its reform agenda and marginalising women in decision-making.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, she cited disagreements over the party’s alliance with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, its electoral strategy, women’s representation and lack of internal democracy.

Sharmin said she had opposed the Jamaat alliance about a year ago, warning that it would undermine the NCP’s political identity and reformist character. 

Despite raising her concerns through written proposals, discussions and organisational channels over the past 11 months, she said, the leadership had failed to address them.

She also criticised the party for rejecting her proposed alternatives to joining the 11-party electoral alliance and for sidelining women despite their frontline role in the 2024 mass uprising.

Questioning the decision to restructure the convener committee instead of holding a council, she said the party could not credibly advocate democracy without ensuring internal democratic practices.

Sharmin called for a new political force based on national unity, democratic governance, economic justice, sovereignty and equal participation of women, inviting like-minded people to join the initiative.