The Chief Coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP), Nasiruddin Patwari, has pushed back against criticism over his recent trip to Cox’s Bazar, saying it wasn’t a violation of party rules and describing the party’s disciplinary notice as “unrealistic.”
In a written response submitted to party leadership, Patwari explained that there had been no official assignment or duty given to him for August 5 — the day the NCP marked the anniversary of the July Uprising.
“I wasn’t on duty, nor was I informed that my presence was required,” he wrote. “So, I went on a short personal trip.”
The letter, addressed to NCP Convener Md Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, offers a calm but pointed rebuttal to the show-cause notice issued earlier this week. Patwari is one of five senior members who received the notice for missing the party’s anniversary event.
According to Patwari, he informed the Convener beforehand, following a call from Hasnat Abdullah, the party’s Chief Organizer for the Southern Region. Hasnat, he said, used a borrowed phone to make the call, having lost his own during a recent political event.
Patwari also claimed that Akhtar Hossain, the Member Secretary, told him that only three representatives had been designated for the event and that he was not among them.
“Based on that understanding, I joined a few colleagues for the trip,” he said.
But Patwari’s letter wasn’t just a defense — it became a reflection. He described the Cox’s Bazar trip as a space for political thinking, not escape.
ALSO READ | Hasnat Abdullah Defends Cox’s Bazar Trip as Protest Against “Incomplete” July Declaration
“While sitting by the sea, I contemplated the future of our party, the structure of the NCP, the People’s Assembly, and even a new democratic constitution,” he wrote. “That is not a crime; it’s political work in solitude.”
He also addressed a swirl of rumors about the trip, including speculation that the group had met with former U.S. ambassador Peter Haas. Patwari flatly denied the claim.
“The hotel confirmed no such guest was staying there. Later, it was verified that the ambassador was in Washington at the time,” he wrote.
Toward the end, Patwari’s tone shifted from explanatory to philosophical.
“Going on a trip is not a crime,” he concluded. “History isn’t always made in boardrooms. It sometimes begins in solitude, even by the sea.”
On August 5, the NCP issued show-cause notices to five top leaders: Patwari, Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Dr Tasnim Jara, and Khaled Saifullah.
All were asked to explain their absence from a major party event commemorating last year’s July Uprising — a moment many credit with launching the NCP’s national relevance.
The incident has exposed internal friction within the party.
Some see it as a breakdown in communication. Others, maybe, as a sign of something deeper: that the NCP’s cohesion, like its future, is still being figured out — one trip, one argument, one letter at a time.
