NCP demands immediate arrest

The National Citizen Party (NCP) demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of just late President Md Shahabuddin alleging that he was an accomplice to the previous regime and should face legal proceedings over his alleged role during the July Uprising.

The demand was made by NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain at a press conference held at the party's temporary central office in the capital on Friday, hours after Shahabuddin's resignation.

"We are demanding that Shahabuddin Chuppu be arrested immediately and brought to justice," Akhtar said.

He alleged that the narrative contained in the former President's resignation letter was "irrelevant" and had been crafted to facilitate a "safe exit".

"Although he has mentioned illness as an excuse, he has arranged the narrative in his resignation letter in such a way that it can actually create a safe exit for him. But there is no point in giving Shahabuddin Chuppu a safe exit. He must be brought to justice for all the crimes he has committed," he said.

Describing the former President as "an accomplice of fascism", Akhtar claimed that failing to prosecute him would leave the accountability process over the July uprising incomplete.

"If he is not brought to justice, then the trial for those who gave their lives in the mass uprising of 2024 will remain incomplete," he said.

Calling on the government to initiate legal proceedings without delay, the NCP leader argued that Shahabuddin no longer enjoyed constitutional immunity following his resignation.

"Until now, perhaps because Shahabuddin Chuppu was serving as President, no legal action could be taken against him. However, as soon as he resigned, there is no scope for legal indemnity or immunity. In this situation, the government must immediately take the necessary legal initiative to bring him to justice," he said.