The convenor and all members of the National Citizen Party (NCP) committee in Jurachhari upazila of Rangamati have resigned simultaneously. The decision was taken collectively by the 87-member full committee during a special emergency meeting on Monday (March 9).
Confirming the matter, Upazila Committee Convenor Asim Chakma said the leaders have already submitted their written resignation letters to the Rangamati district committee.
According to sources, the mass resignation occurred mainly due to the NCP’s decision to ally with another major political party ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election.
The resigning leaders and activists claimed that they had joined the party inspired by the spirit of the July mass uprising and the vision of building a new Bangladesh. However, after the party allied with a particular political party, they felt that NCP had deviated from its core ideals and lost its distinct political identity.
Joint Convenor of the Upazila Committee Debashish Chakma said their 87-member committee was approved on January 10 this year. But due to the party’s changed political position in the current situation, they no longer find ideological alignment with the organization and are therefore unwilling to continue its activities.
Rangamati district unit convenor Bipin Jyoti Chakma confirmed the mass resignation of the Jurachhari upazila committee.
However, NCP’s southern regional organizer Monjila Sultana Jhuma said she learned about the development through social media and local sources. She noted that organizational rules require resignation letters to be formally submitted to the relevant committee.
She also remarked that if the resignation was due to the alliance decision, it should have taken place before the election, adding that taking such a decision afterwards may indicate possible pressure from another political party.
The allegation of political pressure was strongly denied by Jurachhari Upazila Convenor Asim Chakma.
“We did not resign under any pressure. We voluntarily stepped down from all organizational positions due to ideological differences,” he said.
He added that the current direction of NCP does not align with the aspirations of the July uprising, which prompted such a large number of grassroots leaders to step down together.
Local political observers believe that the mass resignation of 87 leaders could create a major organizational setback for NCP in the hill district region.
