The National Citizen Party (NCP) has demanded that officials responsible for failing to ensure the security of its Member-Secretary Akhtar Hossain at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport be identified and brought under punishment.

The demand came at an emergency press conference held Tuesday afternoon at the party’s central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka. NCP Convener Nahid Islam raised the allegations while protesting the attack on Akhtar, which occurred around 3am Bangladesh time on Monday night.

At the briefing, Nahid alleged that the Awami League had systematically targeted the leaders of the July mass uprising at home and abroad. He referred to the alleged attempt on their lives during the Gopalganj march in July, the attack attempt on adviser Mahfuz Alam abroad, and the latest assault on Akhtar in New York as part of a wider pattern.

These attacks are taking place with support from a section within the administration. Defendants in cases outside the tribunal are securing bail and then roaming freely, threatening victims’ families and survivors. Now such incidents are happening abroad as well. The responsibility to end this situation lies with the government, and those responsible must be removed and punished, Nahid said.

He further alleged that members of the party’s expatriate committee in the US had been misguided during the incident.

They were told to exit through a different gate where our supporters were not present. Those in charge of protocol and security orchestrated this. That is why we demand an investigation and punishment of those who failed in their duties,” he added.

NCP also placed a set of demands, including: immediate resignation of the Consul General in New York, identifying and arresting all attackers involved in the incident, a full investigation into the security failure, removal of what the party described as “pro-Awami League appointees of the fascist era” from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, publishing the names of the five people arrested over the attack on adviser Mahfuz Alam, and ensuring a transparent and expedited trial of the July killings. The party also demanded justice for what it termed the “terrorist acts of the Awami League.”

After the press briefing NCP’s Dhaka North and South units brought out a protest procession in Shahbagh demanding justice over the assault on Akhtar. The party also announced protest programmes in all districts and metropolitan areas across the country.

Senior Joint Member-Secretary Nahida Sarwar Niva, Joint Conveners Tajnuva Zabin and Saleh Uddin Sifat, and Joint Member-Secretary Abdullah Al-Amin were also present at the press conference.