Did 5 NCP leaders rebel against the party?

On August 5, the anniversary of the July uprising, the visit to Cox’s Bazar by five leaders of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) has sparked debate and mystery, leading some to sense a whiff of division. This newly formed party has not yet been registered with the Election Commission. According to the government’s declared schedule, the 13th National Parliamentary Election is to be held in the first half of February next year. That leaves only six months in between. Within this time, how feasible it will be for the party to become registered, organise itself nationwide, prepare for the election, and then compete with major parties like the BNP, Jamaat, and Islami Andolan is also a question. If expectations are not met on issues of justice, reform, and the July Charter, will the NCP take part in the next election at all, and if the party of the young generation who were at the forefront of the July mass uprising boycotts the national election, what impact will that have—this too is not a question that can be brushed aside.

The controversy has arisen for several reasons:

1. On the anniversary of the uprising, these five NCP leaders left important national events in the capital and went to Cox’s Bazar.
2. They maintained a kind of “hide and seek” or secrecy about the trip.
3. The explanation given to the media at first by a couple of senior leaders did not match the replies they later gave to the party’s show-cause notice.
4. It was initially said that they met former US ambassador Peter Haas in Cox’s Bazar, but no confirmation has been obtained. In other words, no proof has yet been produced that such a meeting took place, but neither has anyone definitively said it did not.
5. It is also uncertain whether they met any other foreign diplomat or representative.

It may be noted that Peter Haas is currently serving as a strategic adviser to the US multinational company Excelerate Energy, which is engaged in exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). Earlier, he served as the 17th US ambassador to Dhaka, from January 2022 to July 2024.

Media reports state that on the morning of August 5, NCP’s chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, chief organiser for the southern region Hasnat Abdullah, southern region organiser Sarjis Alam and his wife, senior joint member-secretary Tasnim Jara, and her husband, joint convener Khaled Saifullah, went to Cox’s Bazar. CCTV footage of them leaving the airport was also aired by the media.

When asked about this on the day of the incident, NCP leader Nasiruddin Patwari told journalists over the phone that they had come to Cox’s Bazar purely for a holiday; but when criticism began, the NCP issued show-cause notices to Hasnat, Sarjis, and Patwari along with the other two leaders who went. They were asked why they had gone to Cox’s Bazar without informing the party on such an important day, and to appear in person before the party convener and member-secretary within 24 hours to explain.

Instead of appearing in person, NCP southern region chief coordinator Hasnat Abdullah replied to the notice on social media. He wrote that, at the July Declaration reading ceremony, division prevailed instead of unity, and the voices or opinions of a small clique were prioritised over those of the martyrs and the injured, so he had felt no need to attend. In his words, he went to Cox’s Bazar to register a silent protest against the incomplete July Declaration. Hasnat alleged that from the moment they left the airport, every step of theirs was photographed and filmed by state intelligence agencies and handed over to the media.

Nasiruddin Patwari also replied on Facebook. He wrote that he wanted to sit by the sea and think deeply about the future of the country’s politics. He did not see this as a crime—rather, in his words, for a political activist it was a responsible intellectual exercise.

He claimed that on the night of 4 August, he had met NCP convener Nahid Islam at the party office and informed him about the Cox’s Bazar trip. Saying that going on a trip was no crime, he wrote that history is not made only in meetings, but sometimes in solitary rooms of thought or even by the sea.

The question is, having been at the forefront of a massive uprising and making history, did they then, on the anniversary of the July uprising, go on a “mysterious” trip to Cox’s Bazar in order to make more history? If it were merely a personal and family trip, they would not have tried to keep it secret—because wherever NCP leaders go, the public usually finds out in advance. Moreover, their absence from the event at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building, where the July Declaration was released on the uprising’s anniversary, has raised questions—because on the issues of the July Declaration and the July Charter, they are the most vocal.

Hasnat has said it was in protest against the Declaration. If so, they could have simply announced on social media that they were boycotting the event and going to Cox’s Bazar. By giving this explanation only in response to the show-cause notice, suspicions arose. Even on August 5, no doubt or mystery would have arisen over a personal or family trip had they not tried to keep it secret.

If it was a personal trip and there were no questions within the party, they would not have been served a show-cause notice. But when questions arose and several media outlets reported the matter, the NCP could have issued a press release saying it was a personal trip; but no such statement came. This means that either the top two leaders were not aware of the trip, or disagreements arose between them over it.

If they boycotted the event in protest against the July Declaration, this is clearly taking a position against the party—because at the Declaration reading ceremony, the party convener Nahid Islam was standing right beside the chief adviser. Thus, by boycotting an event where the party’s top leader was a key figure, did they rebel against the party itself? Moreover, the party had given them 24 hours to appear before the convener and member-secretary to explain—but instead, Patwari and Hasnat posted their replies on social media. Does that also signal a lack of confidence in the party’s top leadership?

For all these reasons, questions are being asked as to whether the NCP is breaking apart. All five who were served show-cause notices are top-level leaders of the party. Not only that, Hasnat and Sarjis are iconic leaders of the NCP—whose names are mentioned alongside Nahid and Akhter. Therefore, if leaders of this level were truly to leave the party, it would undoubtedly severely weaken the NCP. Moreover, if a party born of an uprising were to split within six months, that too would raise many questions.

In this context, some are asking whether the show-cause notices were served simply to deflect criticism of the leaders’ Cox’s Bazar trip. However, even after replies to the notices have been given, the NCP has yet to make any official statement. Earlier, when another senior leader, Sarwar Tushar, was accused of harassing a woman, he too was served a show-cause notice. Tushar replied and stayed away from party activities for a while, before becoming active again. By that precedent, it cannot yet be said whether the five leaders who went to Cox’s Bazar and were served show-cause notices will again be active in the party after some time.

Amin Al Rashid: Journalist and writer