Cox’s Bazar Trip Was My Silent Protest: Hasnat

Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Coordinator (Southern Region) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has alleged that state intelligence agencies recorded every step of their movements at the airport and handed over photos and videos to the media. He claimed that certain media outlets added crime movie music to these materials and presented them with false and misleading allegations.

Hasnat made these remarks on Thursday (August 7) in response to a show-cause notice issued by the NCP.

On the occasion of the July Uprising Day, the NCP issued show-cause notices to five leaders for traveling to Cox’s Bazar, asking them to explain the reason for their trip within 24 hours of receiving the notice on Wednesday (August 6). Hasnat stated, “During the July mass uprising, people sacrificed their lives for a new Bangladesh—a state where no autocrat could rise and every citizen could live with dignity. This government was formed with the hope of fulfilling that aspiration. The government should have drafted a historic proclamation reflecting the desires of those people.” “However, I and many others were deeply hurt to see that the voices of the people who were the driving force of the uprising were completely ignored during the drafting of this proclamation. Many of the martyrs’ families, the injured, and the movement’s leaders were not given the opportunity to provide input or even the minimum respect of inclusion.” “In the final draft of the proclamation, I saw elements that were inconsistent with the aspirations of the uprising. For instance, it claims that the people expressed their intent to entrust constitutional reforms to the next elected government. This claim is false and poses a significant obstacle to bringing fundamental changes to the constitution. From the beginning, we have demanded the formation of a new constitution through a constituent assembly election, which would bring fundamental changes to the state structure and dismantle the fascist system.” “Moreover, on the evening of August 4, I learned that many of our injured comrades and movement leaders were completely excluded from this event. This felt not only like a political failure but also a moral one. Therefore, I personally decided not to participate in the event. When unity was needed, certain groups were prioritized over the martyrs and the injured, and I felt neither the desire nor the need to be present.” “The next day, I decided to leave Dhaka to reflect on the decisions made, understand recent events, and contemplate future steps. At the same time, this was my silent protest against an incomplete July proclamation.” “On the night of August 4, I first tried to contact the convener, Nahid Islam. Unable to reach him, I informed the party’s chief coordinator, Nasiruddin Patwary, that I was going on a two-day trip with my school friends. As he was with the convener at the time, I requested him to inform the convener, and he assured me he would. About thirty minutes later, Nasiruddin confirmed that he had informed the convener, who had given his approval. Later, Nasiruddin Patwary, along with Sarjis Alam and his wife, and Tasnim Zara and Khaled Saifullah, joined me.” Accusing the media and intelligence agencies, Hasnat said, “What followed was deeply unfortunate. State intelligence agencies recorded our every move at the airport and handed the footage to the media. Some media outlets added crime movie music and presented it with false and misleading allegations.” declare their intent to entrust constitutional reforms to the next elected government. This claim is false and poses a significant obstacle to bringing fundamental changes to the constitution. From the beginning, we have demanded the formation of a new constitution through a constituent assembly election, which would bring fundamental changes to the state structure and dismantle the fascist system.” “Moreover, on the evening of August 4, I learned that many of our injured comrades and movement leaders were completely excluded from this event. This felt not only like a political failure but also a moral one. Therefore, I personally decided not to participate in the event. When unity was needed, certain groups were prioritized over the martyrs and the injured, and I felt neither the desire nor the need to be present.” “The next day, I decided to leave Dhaka to reflect on the decisions made, understand recent events, and contemplate future steps. At the same time, this was my silent protest against an incomplete July proclamation.”

“On the night of August 4, I first tried to contact the convener, Nahid Islam. Unable to reach him, I informed the party’s chief coordinator, Nasiruddin Patwary, that I was going on a two-day trip with my school friends. As he was with the convener at the time, I requested him to inform the convener, and he assured me he would. About thirty minutes later, Nasaruddin confirmed that he had informed！”