National Citizen Party (NCP) Stumbles as Youth Reject Its Politics
NCP Runs Like a Donkey in Politics: Student Election Defeat Exposes Deeper Weakness
The National Citizen Party (NCP) stumbled badly in student politics, and its failure goes beyond a simple election defeat. The Bangladesh Democratic Student Union (Bagchas), the party’s student wing, collapsed in the Dhaka University (Ducsu) and Jahangirnagar University (Jucsu) elections. This defeat clearly reflects NCP’s organizational weakness and political incompetence.
The party, which claims to represent youth politics, could not even make its presence felt in the most crucial campuses. As a new political force, NCP had a chance to test its popularity and build a foundation for the future. However, instead of seizing that chance, the party exposed its limitations even more.
The failure stems mainly from poor organization. Bagchas could not influence students before voting, and it had no visible grassroots activities. It failed to raise major issues of student interest, organize movements, or conduct effective campaigns. Rival groups attracted voters with strong organization and experienced leadership, while Bagchas struggled even to introduce its candidates. Therefore, the rejection from students came naturally.
Despite this, NCP leaders tried to explain the loss differently. Southern regional organizer Hasnat Abdullah called it a learning experience, not a disaster. But this defense amounts to self-deception. A group that cannot win a single notable position on major campuses has indeed collapsed. Refusing to admit failure only deepens future risks.
Another core problem is ideological emptiness. NCP never presented students with a clear political vision. Instead, it tried to exploit the current political deadlock. But young people demand ideology, credibility, and direction. Without them, students see NCP as opportunistic and unreliable, unworthy of long-term trust.
NCP also failed in leadership. It could not produce strong, active, or committed candidates. Instead, unknown faces ran for positions with little campaigning behind them. This shows the leadership valued loyalty over merit. Naturally, students refused to trust such candidates. In student politics, sustainable leadership is essential, and NCP failed that test.
NCP leaders now argue that the Daksu and Jaksu defeat will not affect national elections. However, history proves otherwise: parties without student support cannot build real power in national politics. Youth voters make up a large part of the electorate. If they dismiss NCP, the party will struggle to survive in national elections.
Instead of learning from its mistakes, NCP tries to brand the failure as a message. This only exposes its immaturity. Unless the party accepts defeat as defeat, it cannot prepare properly for the future. Without self-criticism, NCP risks facing an even bigger collapse in national polls.
Thus, the Daksu and Jaksu results serve as a warning. NCP must strengthen its organization, earn student trust, and present a clear ideology. Otherwise, it will remain marginal, fade from mainstream politics, and be remembered only as a failed experiment.
