The trip to Cox’s Bazar was a silent protest against an “incomplete” July Declaration, National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Organizer (South) Hasnat Abdullah said in his written response to a show-cause notice issued by the party.
In the reply sent to the party convener and member secretary on Thursday, Hasnat wrote: “On the evening of August 4 (Monday), I came to know that many of the injured and key leaders of the July uprising had been entirely excluded from the July Declaration event. To me, this was not only a political misstep but also a moral failure. As a result, I made a personal decision to not participate in the event.”
“I saw no reason to attend a gathering where division was prioritized over unity and where the voices of a select few were elevated above those of the martyrs and the wounded,” he added.
‘Own party validated false allegations’
Hasnat also expressed disappointment with the party’s response: “The following day I chose to leave Dhaka. My intention was to reflect on the decisions made during this critical period, to better understand the unfolding events and to think deeply about the path forward. This trip also served as a silent protest against an incomplete July Declaration. But what followed was deeply disheartening.”
He alleged that state intelligence agents photographed and recorded their movements from the airport and later provided the footage to select media outlets, which “manipulated the material — adding dramatic music and false narratives — to portray us in a criminal light.”
Hasnat further claimed there was a coordinated effort between certain intelligence officials and media outlets to portray their actions as suspicious and subversive.
He criticized what he described as a “misogynistic, vulgar campaign” against Senior Joint Member Secretary Tasnim Jara: “She was subjected to slut-shaming and character assassination simply because she is a woman. Some media outlets deliberately ran misleading and offensive headlines targeting her in a calculated attempt to humiliate and discourage women from entering politics.”
“This is not only condemnable — it is a direct attack on women’s political participation,” he added.
“The most painful part,” Hasnat said, “is that instead of standing against these abuses, our own party responded in a tone that seemed to validate the false allegations and feed conspiracy narratives. I believe the party should have taken a firm stand against the misconduct of the intelligence agencies and the unethical behavior of these media outlets.”
Five top leaders served notices
On Wednesday, the NCP served show-cause notices on five senior leaders over their trip to Cox’s Bazar during the anniversary programs marking the July uprising in Dhaka.
They were asked to provide written explanations in person to NCP Convener Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain within 24 hours.
Those served notices are Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, Chief Organizers Hasnat Abdullah (South) and Sarjis Alam (North), Senior Joint Member Secretary Tasnim Jara, and her husband Khaled Saifullah, who is also a joint convener of the party.