Leaders of the National Citizen Party, or NCP, boycotted a reception and discussion programme for July martyrs’ families and July fighters after a video documentary shown at the start triggered controversy. The event began on Wednesday at the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, with Quran recitation. President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram attended as chief guest. NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain spoke before party leaders left the venue.

Senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adib, Munira Sharmin and several other NCP leaders were with Hossain. Adib told Amar Desh that the documentary distorted history. He said it did not mention the banner of the anti-discrimination student movement during the July movement, the nine-point demands, or the one-point declaration, and presented no information on those issues.

The documentary had already prompted disorder at the programme. After it was screened, some injured July fighters and relatives of martyrs shouted “fake, fake,” spreading tension in the venue. Calls for calm were made repeatedly from the stage. Adib also said the boycott protested alleged attacks on NCP activists during state programmes held nationwide to mark July Mass Uprising Day.