National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary has issued a clarification following allegations that he conducted political activities at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) campus.
The controversy arose after Abrar Faiyaj, the brother of Abrar Fahad, and other BUET students claimed that political slogans were chanted during Patwary’s visit to the campus to perform Taraweeh prayers on Wednesday night.
In a social media post, Abrar Faiyaj expressed his frustration, noting that BUET’s status as a politics-free campus was earned through the sacrifice of two lives and the tireless efforts of students who prioritised the cause over their careers.
He questioned the intent behind Patwary’s presence, stating that while coming for prayers is not an issue, holding slogans or processions within the mosque area is inappropriate.
Faiyaj lamented that the “damage” caused by such an appearance might take a long time to understand.
Responding to the allegations on Facebook, Patwary stated that he visited BUET for Taraweeh prayers at the invitation of several students. He maintained that when informed by an individual that no speeches could be delivered on the non-political campus, he immediately complied, stating he would leave after the prayers.
Patwary further explained that as he was leaving after the prayers, he was requested once more not to give a speech or hold a media briefing on the premises.
He stated that he accepted these requests respectfully and only offered prayers for the departed souls of Abrar Fahad and the 57 martyred army officers.
According to Patwary, he conducted his scheduled press briefing later at Palashi, where he personally stopped a few individuals when they began chanting “Inqilab Zindabad” slogans.
“I hold the highest respect for BUET’s decision to remain non-political and have tried to demonstrate this through my actions,” Patwary stated. He added that he was aware of reports of a protest march against him and expressed his readiness to accept any “punishment” if his conduct was deemed an offence by the students.
