A mixed bag in NCP convening committee

The recently formed National Citizen Party (NCP) has announced a 217-member convening committee, incorporating individuals from diverse backgrounds.

The committee disclosed early yesterday includes 24 women, two representatives from the Dalit and Harijan communities, an injured protester from the July uprising, and the mother of a martyred protester.

The "partial" committee will serve for one year, according to a press release signed by NCP Member Secretary Akhter Hossen.

However, LGBTQ activist Muntasir Rahman, included in the initial 151-member committee, was removed from the expanded 217-member body following objections from key NCP leaders Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam.

The committee features 24 women in various roles, including Senior Joint Convener Samanta Shermeen and senior joint member secretaries Dr Tasnim Zara and Nahida Sarwer Niva.

Representing marginalised communities, Kailash Chandra Rabi Das and Vimpalli David Raju from the Dalit and Harijan communities were made joint chief coordinators.

Other significant appointees include Abu Sayeed Leon, former Jatiya Chhatra Samaj leader from Dhaka University, and Alik Mree, leader of Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad, as joint chief organisers. Mujahidul Islam Shahin, ex-general secretary of Islami Chhatra Shibir's DU unit, and Anik Roy, former general secretary of Chhatra Union, and Sarwar Tusher from Rastrochinta were named joint conveners. Pritom Das from Rastro Sangskar Andolan became a joint member secretary.

Ashraf Uddin Mahadi and Rafiqul Islam Aini from Qawmi madrasa were made joint convener and organiser for the northern region, respectively.

The committee also includes nine lawyers and twelve physicians. Two retired army majors -- Abdullah Al Mahmud and Md Salahuddin -- were appointed joint chief organiser and general member, respectively. Khokon Chandra Barman, an injured protester from the July uprising, and Sanjida Khan Dipti, mother of martyred protester

Anas, were included as general members.

The committee consists of two senior joint conveners and two senior joint member secretaries, 16 joint conveners, and 33 joint member secretaries, a chief organiser each for the northern and southern regions, nine joint chief organisers, 18 organisers for the northern region, 24 organisers for the southern region, a chief coordinator, a senior joint chief coordinator, 23 joint chief coordinators, and 76 general members.

'Super Ten' Leadership

Several founding members have been referred to as the party's top 10 leaders, known as the "Super Ten".

Nahid Islam, convener of NCP, was a key organiser of the student movement that led to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. A sociology graduate from DU, Nahid was one of the student representatives within the interim government and resigned from the advisory council before taking on his new role.

Akhter Hossen, the member secretary, is a former social service affairs secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) and was one of the key organisers of Students Against Discrimination (SAD).

Nasiruddin Patwary, the chief coordinator, is an ex-student of DU's marketing department. He was active in the left-wing student organisation Chhatra Federation and served as the organising secretary of its DU unit.

Samanta Shermeen, senior joint convener, was involved in left-leaning student politics and was a former member of the politico-civic group Rastrochinta.

Ariful Islam Adib, another senior joint convener, is an alumnus of Jahangirnagar University's zoology department and served as the general secretary of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad. He was also a member of the liaison committee of SAD.

Masud, a DU student and one of the coordinators of the organisation, was named as the senior joint chief coordinator.

Dr Tasnim Zara, senior joint member secretary, completed her MBBS from Dhaka Medical College before obtaining a degree from Oxford University.

Nahida Sarwar Niva, a former student of DU's microbiology department, is the other senior joint member secretary. She was at the forefront of the 2018 quota reform and road safety protests. She was also an active member of SAD.

Sarjis Alam, chief organiser for the northern region, is an alumnus of Dhaka University's zoology department and was elected a member of the hall union in the 2019 Ducsu election from the Chhatra League panel.

Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser for the southern region, is a former student of DU's English department. He came into the spotlight after staging a hunger strike in front of the university's register building in protest against bureaucratic inefficiencies in administrative services.