Samantha Sharmin, senior joint convener of the National Citizenship Party (NCP), said that “Jamaat and the Awami League are essentially two sides of the same coin, sharing similar organizational structures, internal mechanisms, and visions for the state. Both parties exploit each other for political gain.”
“If Jamaat were to come to power, there is a possibility that the Awami League could make a comeback. In such a scenario, the Awami League would likely attempt to portray Bangladesh to domestic and international audiences as being under the control of Islamic extremists, thereby reinforcing its own political relevance.” She made these remarks in an interview with Bangladesh Pratidin.
Samantha Sharmin stated, “In politics, Jamaat has grown stronger because of the Awami League. By cornering them, the Awami League has actually enhanced Jamaat’s internal capacity. It is actually the Awami League’s plan that the stronger Jamaat is, the stronger the Awami League will remain. This is part of a mutual understanding between them.” She continued, “Jamaat is now trying to come to power by running anti-Awami League politics. Many civil society members who support the Awami League are vocal, questioning where the Awami League’s votes will go. Jamaat is trying to ensure that the Awami League’s votes remain with them.”
The NCP leader further said, “Jamaat is essentially trying to rehabilitate the Awami League here. Jamaat leaders are going from house to house telling Awami League supporters that Jamaat will not harm them, and if we come to power, we will look after you. In the Savar region, a prominent lawyer, who previously supported some controversial figures, is now fighting for Awami League leaders who are imprisoned. Whether this is for money or politics is being questioned. He has given various explanations, but in reality, he is taking the side of killers. He is showing the courage to handle this openly.”
She said, “People are seeing that the Awami League and Jamaat are essentially antagonists. Jamaat once rode on BNP’s shoulders to join the four-party alliance and become part of the government. BNP was unable to handle that. It is very difficult for Bangladesh-oriented politics to be carried out under the BNP or Jamaat. For all three parties—the Awami League, BNP, and Jamaat—it is extremely hard to pursue politics that truly respect Bangladesh and the rights of its citizens because they do not consistently consider national interest when deciding who to oppose or support.”
She added, “None of these established political parties align with NCP’s vision for the state or its future plans. For this reason, NCP is not compelled to operate alongside the old political system. We will try to form our own alliances or test our capability independently in this election.”
Sharmin said, “Our starting point in history is 1971, which was taken from the people by the Awami League. It took until 2024 to liberate the Liberation War from the Awami League. Now, Jamaat wants to confront ’24 with ’71. Jamaat is trying to reclaim 1971 from us on behalf of the Awami League. The context of the Liberation War and July is essentially the same. The people’s demand is also the same. The only difference is that our current new generation did not experience 1971.”
When asked about preparations for the upcoming national parliamentary election, the NCP leader said, “Before we prepare, we need to see how the state is prepared. The current Election Commission is entirely questionable. Its actions, statements, and policies are completely uncorrected. This illegal, uncorrected Election Commission will revive fascism. It cannot deliver a fair election. There is no precedent for it. Only the Shapla symbol can illustrate this.”
She continued, “After 5 August, how many officials in the Election Commission have been changed? Who has been appointed? What are their backgrounds? Who recommended them? What is their daily administrative work? These questions need proper answers. We have seen that names of deceased voters have not been removed from the voter list, and no steps have been taken. This Election Commission is being run with an inadequate and administratively weak administration. Before I make preparations for my party, I need to understand the state’s readiness. After three illegal elections, another election is approaching—what preparation has the state made? We will field candidates in all 300 constituencies.”
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
