In a fresh example of Washington’s engagement in Bangladesh’s internal politics, American Chargé d’Affaires in Dhaka, Tracey Ann Jacobson, on Tuesday hosted at least three senior leaders of the National Citizens Party (NCP) at her Gulshan residence.
Sources in Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies said among those present were NCP convenor Nahid Islam, Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, and Senior Joint Secretary Tasmin Zara. The meeting, which lasted from 5 pm to 6 pm, was also attended by US embassy official Eric Geelan.
Tasmin Zara had been one of five NCP leaders who skipped the August 5 event organised by the former Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement in Dhaka. Instead, Zara, along with Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Nasiruddin Patwari and Khaled Saifullah, spent at least four days in Cox’s Bazar after August 5.
“The absence of these leaders from the Dhaka event underscored an emerging rift within the NCP. The faction led by Hossain and Islam had issued show-cause notices to the five dissidents, who opposed Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus’s decision to announce election dates,” said an intelligence wing officer in Dhaka.
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Bangladesh intelligence sources revealed that the five dissenting leaders stayed in two luxury hotels during their Cox’s Bazar visit, starting with the five-star Hotel Sea Pearl before moving to another property following public criticism. The agencies claim the group spent around three hours in a specific room at Sea Pearl, where they met former US ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter D Haas. Haas had officially left US foreign service last year and joined a multinational corporation.
The Special Branch and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) monitored the group closely during their stay, reportedly gathering “sufficient” information about their interactions and contacts. Analysts say Jacobson’s meeting with Hossain, Islam and Zara indicates a possible US role in mediating between the two NCP factions.
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