Samantha's resignation will not put the NCP in trouble, she was inactive for a long time: Sarwar Tushar

The resignation of joint convener Samantha Sharmin will not put the National Citizen Party (NCP) in much trouble, the party's another joint convener Sarwar Tushar has said. He said Samantha had been inactive in party activities for a long time before resigning, and that her resignation was her personal decision.

Samantha Sharmin resigned from the NCP following differences over issues including women's rights, party democracy and the alliance with Jamaat.

On Thursday (5 November), Samantha Sharmin made the matter public on social media after sending her resignation letter to the party's convener, Nahid Islam. Citing four main reasons behind the resignation, she said that over the past 11 months she had raised her position at various levels of the party through written complaints, proposals and discussions, but did not get the desired outcome.

Samantha said: 'The NCP was formed after the 2024 mass uprising with the goal of state reform. The emphasis was supposed to be on changing the structure of governance rather than changing the ruler. But the old political forces united and tried to turn the election once again into an election of power change.'

In her view, the NCP became part of that effort by forming an alliance.

On the resignation, Sarwar Tushar said: 'Samantha disagreed with the decision to form an alliance at election time. But despite her disagreement, she stayed in the party. After that, she was seen to be inactive in party activities for a long time.' He claimed the party's decisions were taken on the basis of majority opinion.

Tushar also said: 'Samantha and a few members of the political council did not want to remain in the council at the time of the party's reorganisation.' He also claimed that after the reorganisation she did not attend party meetings or speak at them.

Tushar alleged that Samantha had personally contacted party members and called on them to oppose the party's decisions, but received no support for that.

Tushar further said: 'When the new reorganised committee was being formed, Samantha was asked again whether she wanted to stay in the party. She raised no objection then. Now she has resigned, which is her personal freedom. There is nothing to stop this decision.'

Samantha Sharmin had served as senior joint convener in the NCP's first central committee. After the committee was reorganised on 23 October, she was made a joint convener.