NCP suspends Moulvibazar committee over alleged AL links

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has suspended the activities of its Moulvibazar district coordination committee following allegations that some newly appointed members have affiliations with the Awami League.

The central committee issued the suspension order at 11:00pm yesterday, said Khaled Hasan, chief coordinator of the now-suspended district body.

"This is a temporary measure while the allegations are being looked into," Khaled told reporters, adding that the move is not a permanent dissolution of the committee.

The Moulvibazar committee was formed on June 18 under the joint signatures of NCP Member Secretary Akhter Hossain and Chief Organiser (Northern Region) Sarjis Alam.

It was tasked with overseeing district-level party activities for three months or until a convening committee was established.

The 31-member body included nine joint coordinators and 21 regular members, with Khaled appointed as its chief coordinator.

Concerns surfaced shortly after the committee's formation, raised by NCP members from the Sylhet region, who alleged links between some appointees and the Awami League.

In response, Pritam Das, supervisor of the NCP's Sylhet region, verbally directed a halt to the committee's functions pending further investigation.

Speaking to the press, Pritam said that while initial checks did not find concrete evidence to support the claims, the suspension would remain in effect "to ensure transparency."

"Many of the committee members had previously been active in anti-discrimination movements, including the July movement and the citizen committee," he added.

"Still, we are taking the concerns seriously and will complete a thorough investigation before moving forward."

On May 10 this year, the interim government decided to ban all activities of the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the trial of the party and its leaders is completed.