NCP leader held, ousted from party

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested National Citizen Party leader Aftab Mazumder Joy in a case filed over the alleged rape of a college student after a promise of marriage.

The NCP later permanently expelled Joy from the party, Riduan Hridoy, acting office secretary of its Chattogram Metropolitan Committee, said on Thursday.

RAB arrested Joy in Chattogram’s Halishahar area on Wednesday night and handed him over to Chandgaon Police Station.

Joy served as a member of the convening committee of the NCP’s Bandar Thana unit under its Chattogram metropolitan organisation.

Hridoy said the party took the decision after serious allegations emerged that Joy had acted against its policies and principles. Chandgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jasim Uddin said the woman filed the case against Joy on July 19. RAB arrested him following the filing of the case, he added.

According to the case statement, the student met Joy through Facebook around three months ago, and they later developed a relationship.

She alleged that Joy took her to a residential hotel in the Bahaddarhat area on July 14 after promising to marry her. She filed the case after he allegedly refused to marry her and stopped communicating with her.

Mir Sowaib, convener of the NCP’s Chattogram Metropolitan Committee, said the party would not accept responsibility for the personal misconduct of any member.

He said the metropolitan committee had sent a recommendation to the party’s central leadership seeking Joy’s permanent expulsion.