Bangladesh’s Generation Z aligns with Islamic party
A student-led party born from street protests aligns with an Islamic force, signaling a high-stakes realignment in Bangladesh as youth leaders, old parties, before February elections
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh’s Generation Z–led National Citizen Party, or NCP, is reshaping the country’s politics by aligning with Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of general elections scheduled for Feb. 12. The NCP is led by former student leaders who emerged from the August uprising.
The NCP emerged from the protest movement that culminated in the collapse of Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s 15-year rule.
Many of its leaders rose to prominence during the July and August uprisings, which mobilized students and young professionals across the country and brought an interim administration to power. For supporters, the NCP embodied the promise of a “New Bangladesh,” free from dynastic politics, corruption, and authoritarian governance.
At a press conference in Dhaka, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said the alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami was driven by the need for unity to protect the country’s fragile reform process. He pointed to the killing of student activist Sharif Osman Hadi as a pivotal moment that altered the party’s strategy.
Nahid described the killing as an attempt by powerful actors to intimidate the new generation and derail Bangladesh’s political transition.
Initially, he said, the NCP had planned to contest the elections on its own, later exploring a smaller coalition. That plan, he argued, became untenable after Hadi’s death, which exposed the risks of going it alone in a volatile political environment.
“This is about safeguarding reforms and ensuring that the sacrifices made during the uprising are not wasted,” Nahid said, framing the alliance as a defensive move rather than an ideological embrace.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s leadership has welcomed the NCP into its expanding coalition. Jamaat’s Ameer, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, formally announced that the student-led party and the Liberal Democratic Party had joined the Islamic group’s eight-party alliance, now expanded to 10 parties.
Speaking at a crowded press conference in Dhaka, Shafiqur Rahman said the alliance’s candidate list for all 300 parliamentary seats was nearly complete, signaling confidence and organizational readiness.
The inclusion of the Liberal Democratic Party, led by retired Col. Oli Ahmed, adds further weight to the bloc. Ahmed, a former ally of the late president Ziaur Rahman and a founding member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, broke away from the BNP in 2006, citing corruption and dynastic control.
Known for his reputation as a principled politician, Ahmed brings both symbolic and regional strength, particularly in the Chattogram area.
Nahid Islam has acknowledged dissent in his party but argued that the current political conditions leave little room for idealism. He has said that contesting elections alone with an inexperienced organizational structure would risk squandering public support and leaving reformist voters unrepresented in parliament.
Gen-Z positioning
Adding another layer to the NCP’s positioning, the party’s southern coordinator, Hasnat Abdullah, has emphasized sovereignty and resistance to external influence as core principles of the new alliance.
Speaking at the inauguration of the NCP’s Narayanganj district office, Hasnat said the party was seeking partnerships with reformist forces that oppose what he described as Indian hegemony and support Bangladesh’s independence in decision-making.
“We are ready to join hands with those who stand for reforms, stand for Bangladesh, and uphold communal harmony,” Hasnat said, while making clear that the NCP would not ally with any group that obstructs the reform process.
Hasnat also delivered sharp criticism of the Awami League, calling it politically irrelevant after its fall through a mass uprising rather than an electoral defeat. He warned that efforts to rehabilitate the party through elections risk legitimizing what he described as past acts of political violence and arson. For Hasnat, unity among what he termed anti-fascist forces is not optional but essential.
These statements highlight how the NCP and Jamaat alliance is attempting to redefine the political narrative as one of revolutionary legitimacy versus discredited old power structures.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party finds itself under increasing pressure. Although Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has returned to the country after nearly 17 years in exile, the BNP has been dogged by widespread allegations of extortion and illegal land grabs since the fall of the Awami League.
Surveys by Transparency International Bangladesh and Innovation Consulting suggest that 41% of citizens believe extortion has worsened in recent months, with local BNP leaders frequently blamed.
Even senior BNP figures have conceded that the party’s name is being misused by criminal elements, further damaging its standing among voters hungry for change. Past corruption and violence cases involving Tarique Rahman, which he describes as politically motivated, continue to weigh on the party’s credibility among neutral observers.
Polling trends underscore the stakes of the new alliance. Recent surveys place the BNP at around 30% support, with Jamaat-e-Islami close behind at between 26 and 29%.
The NCP commands significant visibility and moral authority among young voters. Together, the expanded alliance appears competitive and, in some scenarios, dominant.
Electoral reform has emerged as the central battleground. Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP are pushing for a proportional representation system, arguing that it would better reflect Bangladesh’s diverse political landscape and prevent domination by a single party. The BNP strongly opposes the move, calculating that it would fare better under the existing first-past-the-post system.
Public opinion appears to favor reform.
One survey found that 71% of respondents support proportional representation for the upper house of parliament. Analysts say that if such a system were introduced, possibly through a referendum held alongside the elections, the Jamaat-led alliance could become a kingmaker in parliament, shaping any future government.
As Bangladesh heads toward February 2026, the alignment of a Generation Z movement with an Islamic party captures the country’s broader imagination. It reflects both the promise and the peril of youth-led politics in a system still marked by entrenched interests, unresolved wounds, and fierce competition for power.
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