Staff Correspondent

National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari has defended his controversial Cox’s Bazar trip, calling the party’s show-cause notice against him ‘unrealistic’ and rooted in misinformation.

In a formal reply submitted to the NCP leadership, Patwari said there was no prior instruction or official programme assigned to him for August 5, the date of the July Uprising anniversary event.

“I wasn’t on duty, nor was I informed that my presence was required. So, I went on a short personal trip,” he wrote.

His explanation follows internal party criticism over his absence from a significant NCP programme, which coincided with a trip to Cox’s Bazar that included other senior leaders.

The NCP served notices to five top members, including Patwari, seeking clarification.

Patwari’s letter, addressed to NCP Convener Md Nahid Islam and Member-Secretary Akhtar Hossain, clarified that he had informed the Convener about the trip in advance after being contacted by Hasnat Abdullah, the party’s Chief Organiser for the Southern Region.

Hasnat had reportedly called using a colleague’s phone, as his own had been stolen during a recent party event.

Patwari also mentioned that Akhtar Hossain had told him three representatives were designated for the August 5 programme, and he was not one of them. “Based on that understanding, I joined a few colleagues for the trip,” he explained.

But the letter went beyond mere justification. Patwari framed the trip as a moment of political reflection rather than abandonment of responsibility.

“While sitting by the sea, I contemplated the future of our party, the structure of the NCP, the People’s Assembly, even a new democratic constitution. That is not a crime; it’s political work in solitude,” he wrote.

He also dismissed rumours that the group had secretly met with former US Ambassador Peter Haas during the trip.

“The hotel confirmed no such guest was staying there. Later, it was verified that the ambassador was in Washington at the time,” he added.

Patwari concluded his letter with a reflective tone, saying, “Going on a trip is not a crime. History isn’t always made in boardrooms; it sometimes begins in solitude, even by the sea.”

The NCP issued show-cause notices on August 5 to five senior leaders Nasiruddin Patwari, Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Dr Tasnim Jara, and Khaled Saifullah, for skipping the anniversary event in favour of the trip.