In yet another instance of US involvement in Bangladesh’s domestic politics, American Chargé d’Affaires in Dhaka, Tracey Ann Jacobson, today opened the doors to her Gulshan residence to at least three National Citizens Party (NCP) leaders, including the outfit’s convenor Nahid Islam.
The other two NCP leaders who were closeted with Jacobson between 5 and 6 pm were Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain and Senior Joint Secretary Tasmin Zara. US diplomat at the embassy, Eric Geelan, was also part of the meeting.
Incidentally, Tasnim Zara was one of five NCP leaders who absented themselves from the August 5 event involving the erstwhile Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement in Dhaka.
Tasnim Zara was with Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Nasiruddin Patwari and Khaled Saifullah in Cox’s Bazar for at least four days beyond August 5.
This was later revealed to be a reflection of a crack in the NCP as the five functionaries were against declaration of election dates by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus.
The presence of Akhtar Hossain and Nahid Islam at today’s meeting at Jacobson’s residence indicates that the US embassy has stepped into resolve the differences between the two factions of the NCP. Hossain and Islam had served show cause notices to the five rebel NCP leaders.
The five NCP leaders spent at least five days in two expensive hotels in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh’s most attractive – and expensive – sea resort.
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On August 5, they checked into Hotel Sea Pearl, a five-star property, before public criticism forced them to move to another hotel.
These five NCP leaders are said to have spent three hours in a particular room at Sea Pearl and during which time they had a “virtual meeting” with at least one “foreign individual” believed to be former US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D Haas.
Bangladeshi security agencies, including the Special Branch and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), kept a close watch on the five students and were able to procure “sufficient” information on who they spoke with during their Cox’s Bazar sojourn.
