Chhatra Dal leader alleges NCP attack over Tk 3cr claim involving Hannan Masud; MP denies allegation

Activists of National Citizen Party (NCP) have allegedly attacked and vandalised the house of a Chhatra Dal leader following claims that Abdul Hannan Masud, senior joint chief coordinator of NCP and member of the parliament from Noakhali-6 (Hatia) constituency, demanded Tk three crore to escort an Awami League leader to the airport. Hannan Masud has dismissed the allegations.

​The claim was made by Abdul Gaffar, 29, of Paschim Boro Deil village in Burirchar union under Hatia upazila. Abdul is a member of the convener committee of the Jahangirnagar University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.

​Abdul’s family home in Paschim Boro Deil village was attacked around 8:30pm last night. Immediately after the incident, Hatia upazila Chhatra Dal brought out a protest procession at the Sagaria Bazar. They demanded that the perpetrators be identified and swiftly brought to justice.

Contacted, Hannan Masud dismissed the allegations entirely, saying, ​“My own house gets attacked, and I can barely manage to tackle those situations. Why would I go and attack someone else's house? This is a staged drama designed to demean me. Let them try and see what they can accomplish."

​Hannan also maintained that the allegation of demanding money to "escort an Awami League leader to the airport" is completely false.

​Speaking to reporters, Abdul said, “During the July Uprising, I was the one who kept Hannan Masud safe. I used to manage everything, from editing and posting all their videos. I am the one who established him in Hatia's politics.”

“Acting as his political guardian, I stayed with him for a month and a half after August 5 [2024]. As a result, I know a lot of his secrets. After August 5, he planned to escort Mohammad Ekramul Karim Chowdhury, the former MP of the Noakhali-4 (Sadar-Subarnachar) constituency and former general secretary of the district Awami League, to the airport. He demanded Tk three crore for this. I opposed it at the time."

​Abdul said he informed Muhammad Rashed Khan, the former general secretary of Gono Odhikar Parishad and current BNP leader, about Hannan’s Tk three crore demand.

​​He alleged that the attack on his family home was carried out by Hannan’s followers.

​“During the attack, miscreants vandalised a window and targeted the main gate. Later, they hurled filthy abuses at me before leaving,” he said.

​Riaz Mahmud, convener of Hatia upazila Chhatra Dal, said NCP activists and followers of Hannan Masud had been openly threatening Abdul for the past two days over the statement regarding the Tk three crore demand. He maintained that those who issued the threats were the ones who carried out the attack.

​​Refuting the allegations, Samsul Kibria, convener of Hatia upazila NCP, said, “Since Chhatra Dal leader Abdul is firmly asserting that NCP activists did this, we must assume they staged this incident themselves just to go viral. When MP Hannan Masud informed me about the matter over the phone, I went to the spot. There, BNP activists created an unpleasant situation."

​Hatia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Md Kabir Hossain said upon receiving the news, the police visited the spot. “No written complaint has been filed regarding the incident yet. Legal action will be taken once a written complaint is received.”