The Election Commission (EC) has set 20 April as the deadline for new political party registrations, but the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) is facing challenges in meeting this timeframe. The youth-led party, formed in the aftermath of the July uprising, plans to formally request an extension as it works to fulfil the numerous registration requirements.
On Wednesday, 9 April, NCP's central organiser Muntasir Mahmud told the Daily Observer that although the party has a Jatiya Nagorik Committee, it has not yet formed its committees in the required manner. He explained that the party is progressing well with its organisational work but faced delays due to Ramadan, which hindered the completion of many tasks. He also dismissed media reports about election candidates as false, clarifying that no final candidate nominations have been made, although hopefuls are working in their respective areas.
Mushfuq Us Salehin, joint member secretary of NCP, confirmed that the candidate nominations published in the media are speculative. He stated that the party may decide to file a writ in the High Court, but no decision has been finalised. He added that party representatives might approach the Election Commission to request an extension of the deadline. Mushfuq also clarified that the party has not yet appointed an official spokesperson, and statements from individuals in responsible positions should not be considered the party's official stance. He believes only statements from the Convener and Member Secretary should be treated as official.
Senior NCP leaders revealed that they need approximately two more months to complete preparations, including establishing required offices, finalising their constitution, and forming party committees at various levels.
The party, officially launched on 28 February, has had limited time to meet the EC's criteria announced on 10 March.
The EC requires political parties to maintain a central office and committee, establish offices in no more than one-third of administrative districts, and have a presence in at least 100 upazilas or metropolitan police stations. Each local office must register a minimum of 200 enlisted voters as members, alongside specific constitutional provisions. Samanta Sharmin, a senior joint convenor of NCP, believes the EC deliberately set the tight deadline to disadvantage their party. She stated that the matter has been discussed in the party forum, but no final decision has been made on the party's official stance.
The legitimacy of the EC's public notice has been contested in the High Court by the State Reform Movement. Following a preliminary hearing on 18 March, the court issued a rule with a stay order, though this applies only to the State Reform Movement and not to other parties, according to petitioner's lawyer Abeda Gulruk.
The NCP has formed a special team to handle registration-related tasks, which will soon engage with the EC, according to senior joint convenor Ariful Islam Adeeb. While upazila-level committees are nearly ready, district-level committees require further structuring. The party plans to replicate the central committee model when forming district and upazila committees, incorporating members from the Anti-discrimination Students Movement, the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, and professionals from various fields.
The NCP is also developing several specialised wings. A youth wing is set to launch in April, while a workers' wing was announced before Eid-ul-Fitr on 23 March. Efforts are also underway to establish a women's wing, professional branches, and potentially a forum for people with disabilities.
The NCP has expressed strong support for direct elections to reserved women's seats in Parliament. They back the Election Reform Commission's recommendation to reserve one-quarter of parliamentary seats for women through direct elections and to increase the total number of seats to 400. Sarwar Tushar, NCP's Joint Convenor and Coordinator of the Reform Coordination Committee, stated that this change would accelerate the development of women's leadership nationwide, resulting in 100 female parliamentarians who would play a key role in policymaking and lawmaking.
Under the existing system, 50 seats are reserved for women, filled through party nominations based on proportional representation rather than direct elections. Critics, including NCP leaders, argue that this system fosters dependency on party favour rather than public support. Monira Sharmin, a joint convenor and reform coordination committee member, criticised the current system as a "selection model" that fails to develop grassroots women leadership. She noted that women who lack basic literacy have been given the chance to represent women in Parliament, often due to nepotism.
The NCP largely supports the Constitution Reform Commission's recommendations, including the creation of a bicameral legislature with both houses serving four-year terms. They agree with proposals for 300 open seats and 100 women-only seats in the lower house, committee chairs from the opposition, and proportional representation in the upper house with candidates announced before elections to ensure transparency.
