Hearing something like ‘he went to London to prostrate, brought a revelation about Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, may sound unbelievable, but it’s the truth. And who said it? Dr. Yunus's former employer, Hasnat-Patwary. When did he say it? Right after Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury confidently stated that the election would happen in February and no one could stop it. Chowdhury added that if anyone tries to obstruct the election, they’ll be met with resistance from the people.
He also warned that no extortionist would be allowed to stay in the country.
The statement from Sujan’s editor and electoral reform committee expert, Badiul Alam Majumdar, regarding the election is also worth noting. While his comments on the election have been somewhat ambiguous in the past, yesterday they were crystal clear. He bluntly stated that there is no uncertainty about the election.
He also said there is no problem with the level playing field. Surprisingly, on the same day, leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) took a hardline stance on holding a Constituent Assembly election before the national election. At a discussion titled “Constituent Assembly Election for the Implementation of the July Charter,” the party's leaders raised this demand. At the event, NCP's Chief Coordinator, Nasiruddin Patwary, claimed that the only solution to the current crisis is a Constituent Assembly election.
He even went so far as to say that there is no need to extend the tenure of the Consensus Commission. He also commented that the Yunus government has betrayed the people by not implementing the July Charter.
NCP's Chief Organizer, Hasnat Abdullah, said, "The election can happen whenever they want, but a Constituent Assembly election must take place first. The current constitution is a 'textbook of fascism.' NCP cannot be bought with seats."
What could be more dangerous than these statements as an election approaches? Why was it so urgent for the two NCP leaders, Hasnat Abdullah and Nasiruddin Patwary, to make such comments directed at Dr. Yunus? Where does this come from? Is this also part of their elaborate plan?
Previously, Nasiruddin Patwary, the party's chief coordinator, had described a social media post by Hasnat Abdullah about a meeting at the cantonment as "undignified." Patwary had also asked the public for forgiveness if they had made a mistake. Now, both leaders are making the same statements.
The NCP, which includes figures like Nahid, Hasnat, Sajib, Sarjis, and Patwary, has been facing continuous internal turmoil. Citing reasons like frustration with party activities, allegations of corruption, appointments without their knowledge, or affiliations with other parties, around 25 activists have resigned from the party in the last two months.
The NCP started forming committees at the district and sub-district levels after the formation of the Dhaka North City Coordination Committee on June 1, in preparation for party registration. So far, the NCP has formed coordination committees in 33 districts and almost 200 sub-districts across the country. After these committees were formed, various allegations arose, including the appointment of members of Awami League and BNP families and irregularities in the committee formation process. Many leaders later resigned by posting on Facebook and holding press conferences. Nine people resigned from the Sylhet district alone.
On August 9, four NCP leaders from the Shibchar sub-district coordination committee in Madaripur resigned together. The next day, on August 10, Md. Rubel Mia, a member of the Faridpur coordination committee, also resigned. In his resignation letter to Syeda Nilima Dola, the chief coordinator of the NCP's Faridpur district coordination committee, he mentioned that he was deeply disappointed and disturbed because he felt the party's recent activities, various allegations of irregularities, and its decisions and positions were contrary to the principles and ethics of the July Revolution, and that the party's current direction was in conflict with his personal ideals and values.
Before that, on August 8, A.U. Masud (Arfan Uddin), the No. 1 joint coordinator of the National Citizens' Party's Satkania sub-district coordination committee in Chattogram, resigned. He announced his decision in a Facebook post.
On the same day, two leaders, Tariqul Islam, the joint coordinator of the Shariatpur district coordination committee and chief coordinator of the Damudya sub-district committee, and Palash Khan, a member of the district committee, resigned via social media posts.
On June 29, the Matlab South sub-district branch coordination committee was announced, signed by NCP's Chief Organizer Hasnat Abdullah and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain. Shortly after, Helal Uddin, a joint coordinator of that committee, resigned, labeling the chief coordinator, D.M. Alauddin, as a 'leader of the Jatiya Party' and a 'collaborator of fascists.' He announced his resignation from his Facebook ID.
In addition, three members of the NCP's Bagmara sub-district committee—Hadiuzzaman Rafi, Fuad Hasan Ganim, and Rabiul Islam Rahul—resigned by posting on Facebook and sending their resignation letters to the central office.
Abul Ahsan Zabur, a joint coordinator of the Sylhet district committee and the brother of ATM Turab, a journalist who was killed in July, also resigned from the NCP. He and eight others from Sylhet resigned from the party. On July 12, the day after the committee was announced, four leaders resigned from the Biswanath and Goainghat sub-district committees. They included Fahim Ahmad and Nadim Mahmud from the Goainghat sub-district committee, and Ruhul Amin and Shahed Ahmed from the Biswanath sub-district committee. Additionally, on July 21, four more leaders resigned from the Goainghat sub-district committee.
Earlier, shortly after the party was formed, three of its central leaders—Joint Chief Coordinator Abu Hanif, Joint Chief Organizer (North Region) Hanif Khan Sajib, and Joint Chief Coordinator Abduz Zaher—resigned from the NCP. In their resignation letters, they cited personal reasons and returned to their former party, Gono Odhikar Parishad, after resigning.
Meanwhile, the NCP's Madaripur district and Sadar sub-district coordination committees have been suspended due to violations of organizational discipline.
At the same time, Md. Abdullah Adil and Ratul Hawladar, members of the Madaripur district committee, have been expelled from all their organizational posts, including their primary membership.
Additionally, in Sherpur's Nalitabari, a coordination committee was suspended just two days after its formation due to various controversies. Although members of the NCP's various district and sub-district committees have resigned, they have not followed any party instructions. Most of them have announced their resignations on Facebook, without sending them to the central office cell.
Furthermore, the NCP has issued show-cause notices to 10 central leaders over the past six months for various issues, including disciplinary violations, moral misconduct, and involvement in controversies. Given this situation, what kind of journey have Hasnat and Patwary embarked on?
The writer is a journalist, columnist and the Deputy Head of News at Banglavision.
