National Citizens Party reports serial attacks, alleges 'horrific environment' created

The National Citizens Party (NCP) has reported a series of attacks against its members, including an incident in Sylhet on Thursday following an earlier attack in Habiganj. Akthar Hossain, the party's member secretary, stated that these continuous assaults have created a "horrific and ghastly environment." A local leader of the National Student Power, an affiliate of the NCP, Aliif Chowdhury, who sustained an eye injury during the Habiganj attack, is currently receiving treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Dhaka. NCP leaders spoke to the press outside the hospital after visiting him.

Hossain criticized the current BNP government, drawing parallels to past authoritarian regimes, and alleged that the BNP is now replicating the Awami League's past tactics of suppressing opposition parties. He highlighted that even protests against the Habiganj attack were met with further violence from alleged BNP, Chhatra Dal, and Juba Dal operatives. Hossain revealed that Aliif Chowdhury has lost vision in one eye due to a rod injury and his other eye is also significantly damaged, potentially leading to complete blindness. The NCP has presented three demands to the government: to cover Aliif Chowdhury's medical expenses and provide compensation, to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the Habiganj attack, and to ensure security for NCP activities, including an upcoming July march.

NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan echoed these concerns, describing the Sylhet attack as an attempted murder and expressing dismay at the government's lack of response. He suggested that the government's inaction implies high-level patronage, posing a threat to democracy. Dr. Abdul Ahad, a member of the NCP's medical wing, provided a grim medical assessment of Aliif Chowdhury's injuries, confirming the permanent loss of sight in his left eye and severe impairment in his right. He detailed Chowdhury's difficult family circumstances, emphasizing his role as the primary breadwinner, and stated that the attack was intended to kill him.