NCP leader, a dismissed Red Crescent staff, suspended for attempting ‘mob’ violence

The party also issued a show-cause notice against Muntasir

A group of people, led by a recently dismissed officer who is a leader of the National Citizen Party, has held Bangladesh Red Crescent Society chairman and senior staff hostage for hours, in what officials described as a “mob”.

The leader of the protest, Muntasir Mahmud, was handed a temporary suspension and a show-cause notice by the NCP following the incident on Sunday.

Another Red Crescent officer said from Sunday morning, Muntasir, former deputy director of Youth Affairs at Red Crescent and an organiser of the NCP, along with some outsiders, attempted to create a “mob” at the Red Crescent headquarters in Moghbazar.

Around midday, Muntasir, employed on a contract, received a dismissal notice, after which the protest escalated.

The group blocked the chairman throughout the day, accusing him of being an “accomplice of fascists” and charging him with “Awami rehabilitation” activities. Retired Maj Gen Md Azizul Islam, the chairman, was eventually escorted out by police in the evening.

Fazlul Karim, ADC of Tejgaon Police, said: “A board meeting was held today at Red Crescent. Some employees were dismissed for various reasons. Following this, nearly 50 people confined the chairman to the office for most of the day. Around 8pm, police had to escort him out.”

Karim added that police presence would continue at the Red Crescent office on Monday.

Amid the turmoil at 8pm, the party published a notice on its official Facebook page, saying: “Serious allegations of party discipline violations have been raised against you [Muntasir]. Following preliminary verification of these claims, and under the directives of NCP Convener Nahid Islam and Secretary Akhtar Hossain, you are temporarily suspended from all organisational activities, effective immediately. You are requested to provide a written explanation within 48 hours to the party’s Central Discipline Committee on why permanent suspension should not be imposed.”

The NCP did not specify the exact reasons for Muntasir’s suspension.

After the notice was posted, Muntasir wrote on Facebook around 10pm: “In July, a traitor told me the chairman is a Jamaat supporter helping Awami rehabilitation. Today, on that traitor’s orders, police attacked us. I have all the evidence.

“The betrayal is being blamed on Jamaat and BNP. I may be abducted to destroy evidence. My phone is dead. I will reveal all the evidence in time. I will peacefully occupy the Red Crescent as long as this ‘fascist’ chairman is not removed. The police attack has made me physically ill.”