Cox’s bazar trip: NCP serves show-cause notices on five leaders

The National Citizen Party (NCP) yesterday served show-cause notices on five of its senior leaders for their "unannounced" visit to Cox's Bazar on the first anniversary of the July mass uprising.

The party issued five separate letters, signed by its joint member secretary Saleh Uddin Sifat, in this regard.

The five leaders are NCP's Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, 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.

"Yesterday, on August 5, the first anniversary of the July uprising and a nationally important day, you and four other central party members went to Cox's Bazar on a personal visit. No prior information or explanation regarding this visit was communicated to the political council.

"In this situation, you are hereby requested to appear in person and provide a written explanation to Convener Nahid Islam, and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, within the next 24 hours regarding the reasons and context of your decision," reads each letter.

Sources at the Cox's Bazar airport said the NCP delegation landed there around 11:30am on August 5 on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dhaka.

They said the group then headed to the five-star Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa (previously the Royal Tulip) in Inani, about 20 km from the airport.

Their sudden visit has triggered rumours in political circles that the NCP leaders were there to meet former US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas.

Haas is currently serving as a strategic adviser to the US multinational company Excelerate Energy, which exports liquefied natural gas (LNG). He served as the US ambassador to Bangladesh from January 2022 to July 2024.

However, speaking to The Daily Star, Nasiruddin dismissed the rumours, saying they were visiting Cox's Bazar for vacation.

He termed the reports of a meeting with Haas as "false and defamatory".