The National Citizen Party, or NCP, demanded that the government cover all treatment costs for Habiganj district Jatiya Chhatra Shakti leader Alif Chowdhury and swiftly arrest those responsible for attacks. NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain made the demands at a news conference on Thursday afternoon after visiting Alif at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in the capital. He said Alif lost one eye in an attack during the party’s July march in Habiganj.

Hossain said Alif remained hospitalized after surgery and that doctors had said the damaged eye would never recover. He added that Alif was also seeing blurred vision in his other eye, creating concern that it could be affected as well. Hossain also alleged that an NCP motorcade was attacked in Sylhet about an hour before the news conference while returning after visiting graves of July uprising martyrs and meeting their family members.

The NCP alleged that Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and BNP activists attacked its programmes in Habiganj and protests in Kurigram, Dinajpur and Chattogram. Hossain accused the BNP government of following the Awami League’s path in attacks and repression against opponents. He sought compensation for Alif and his family, prosecution of identified attackers, and security for all opposition political activities.