National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari and Chief Organiser (South) Hasnat Abdullah have formally responded to the show-cause notices issued by the party, offering explanations for their Cox's Bazar visit August 5 that drew widespread criticism.
In his written reply sent to the party convener and member secretary on Thursday, Nasir stated, "Sitting on the shore of the ocean, I wanted to think deeply about the mass uprising, the citizens' committee, the structure of NCP, the future Constituent Assembly, and the outline of a new democratic constitution.
"I do not see this as wrongdoing, but rather as a responsible and reflective exercise expected of a political activist."
The NCP leader also mentioned that after reaching Cox's Bazar, a rumour suddenly circulated that they went there to meet former US Ambassador Peter Haas.
"I promptly informed the media that this claim was entirely false and part of a deliberate smear campaign. The hotel authorities confirmed that no one by the name of Peter Haas was present, and it was later verified through various sources that he was in Washington at the time," Nasir said.
He noted that this rumour appears to be a calculated attempt to damage their reputation.
"Given the context, I believe the show-cause notice is based on incorrect assumptions. My trip was transparent, did not breach any organisational guidelines, and was simply a personal retreat for thoughtful reflection," he said.
In a separate explanation, Chief (South) Hasnat Abdullah said, "On the evening of 4 August, 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 at the event.
"I saw no reason to attend a gathering where division was prioritised over unity, and where the voices of a select few were elevated above those of the martyrs and the wounded."
He further stated, "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 the shortcomings of the July Declaration."
But what followed was deeply disheartening, said Hasnat.
"The state intelligence agency photographed and recorded our every movement from the airport, later handing the footage to select media outlets. These outlets, in turn, manipulated the material—adding dramatic music and false narratives—to portray us in a criminal light," Hasnat said in reply to the show-cause notice.
He also alleged that a coordinated effort between some intelligence officials and media houses aimed to depict their actions as suspicious and subversive.
"Most distressing of all was the misogynistic, vulgar campaign against 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," Hasnat wrote.
He went on to say, "This is not only condemnable, it is a direct attack on women's political participation."
The NCP leader further said, "What's most painful is that, instead of standing against these abuses, our own party responded with 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."
Earlier on Wednesday, the NCP served show-cause notices on the party's five top leaders over their trips to Cox's Bazar, avoiding the July mass uprising anniversary programmes in the capital.
Those who have been served notices are— the NCP's Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, Chief Organiser (North) Sarjis Alam, Chief Organiser (South) Hasnat Abdullah, Senior Joint Member Secretary Tasnim Jara, and her husband Khaled Saifullah, who is also a joint convener of the party.
