A group photo from Tuesday night’s political meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna has sparked a wave of online commentary.
In the image, six out of eight leaders attending the meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus were seen wearing visitor passes. Two leaders—Nahid Islam and Akhtar Hossain from the National Citizen Party (NCP)—were not.
The absence of visible identification led to questions across social media. Were the NCP leaders exempt from standard protocol? Or did they simply remove their cards before the photo?
According to the Chief Adviser’s Office, all attendees had proper clearance.
Senior assistant press secretary Foyez Ahammad told the Dhaka Tribune that every political leader who entered Jamuna on Tuesday had a visitor card and wore it during the discussions.
“The NCP leaders removed their cards and put them in their pockets while taking the photo,” he said.
There is no regulation explicitly banning that.
“The purpose of the pass is for identification by security staff,” Ahammad explained. “All the cards were returned after the meeting. We do not issue any special instruction about whether it must stay on during photos.”
Some online critics suggested the NCP leaders were exempt due to possible government ties.
Ahammad dismissed that claim.
“Our press wing has already circulated the meeting footage. Anyone can verify who wore what,” he said. “Attempts to question this are an effort to undermine the cooperative spirit between political parties and the government.”
When attempts to contact the two NCP leaders went unanswered, party spokesperson Mushfiq-us-Salehin addressed the matter.
“They wore their cards throughout the meeting and removed them after it ended. This controversy is being pushed by people who routinely campaign for one particular party online,” he said.
He pleaded with his critics to move past baseless rumors and try to build some political understanding.
“Criticism should be constructive,” he said. “Not everything deserves outrage.”
Salehin also mentioned that Nahid Islam had participated in a foot procession earlier in the day before attending the meeting.
Footage shared by the Chief Adviser’s Office appears to confirm the timeline. Both NCP leaders are seen wearing visitor passes during the meeting, matching the press secretary’s account.
In a sign of a broadening political front, eight representatives from parties like BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the NCP sat down with Professor Yunus to strategize on the current situation.
For now, the visitor card controversy seems to have a clear explanation. Whether public attention shifts elsewhere depends on what happens next in an increasingly charged political climate.
