NCP leader show-caused over alleged extortion to halt Ctg port protests

It comes after a video surfaced on social media in which Nizam Uddin appears to demand extortion money to suppress protests centring the port

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has issued a show-cause notice to Chattogram Metropolitan Joint Coordinator Nizam Uddin after a video surfaced of a conversation in which he allegedly demanded extortion money to suppress port-related protests.

The notice, served on Monday by the party’s Chattogram metropolitan branch, comes after the 1-minute-35-second clip began circulating on social media on Sunday night.

The video appears to show Nizam speaking on Facebook Messenger with another man about collecting money to halt a protest movement centring the Chittagong Port.

In the recording, Nizam is heard asking the man if he had received money, to which the man replies “Yes, brother” and mentions “five”. Nizam then says: “You should've taken more by exerting pressure.”

He later suggests “10”, seemingly implying Tk 1 million, and noting “this is about the port”.

Nizam has denied the allegations, telling bdnews24.com the video is part of a smear campaign to tarnish his image. He said he would respond to the notice within the 24-hour deadline.

The notice, signed by NCP Joint Coordinator Arif Moinuddin, accuses Nizam of violating party discipline and demands a written explanation to the Chief Joint Coordinator Mir Arshadul Haque.

This is not the first time Nizam has faced such allegations. While serving as member secretary of the Chattogram city branch of Students Against Discrimination, his membership was temporarily suspended over an extortion complaint, though it was later restored. In another case, a woman accused him of demanding Tk 20 million and claimed he had her husband arrested when she refused to pay.