NCP activists allegedly lived in hotel for months without paying rent

Authorities at a residential hotel in the capital have alleged that a group of junior leaders from NCP lived in two rooms of the facility for eight months without paying rent.

Mohammad Kajol, accounts department chief at Hotel Yeameni International, alleged that the NCP leaders from Dhaka South unit owe the hotel Tk11.83 lakh, but sought to defer the payment whenever they were asked for it.

Upon receiving a complaint from the hotel authorities, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said the party’s disciplinary committee is probing the matter, adding that organisational penalties would be imposed after the probe report submission.

A formal complaint against five NCP activists, who led more than a dozen of their colleagues into the two rooms, have already been sent to the central leadership, the hotel authorities confirmed.

If the hotel officials fail to recover the dues with support from NCP central leaders, they would take legal measures against the five accused, they told reporters.

In the complaint letter, hotel authorities also cited “allegations” that some NCP activists also engaged in “immoral activities.” The hotel also has CCTV footage in support of the allegations over “unethical acts.”

Mohammad Kajol said the NCP activists also used to bring “women” with them even after they were asked not to.

After the general elections on 12 February, the NCP occupants of the two rooms “simply vanished,” Kajol said. Afterwards, the hotel officials broke in and rented the two rooms out to new clients, Kajol added.

The hotel authorities trusted the NCP activists to be fair with their dealings due to their ties to the July Uprising, states the complaint sent to NCP central leaders. But they broke the trust by leaving without paying dues accumulated over eight months.

Now, the hotel authorities are contacting the occupants, demanding payment of rent. However, the alleged NCP activists are issues warnings in different forms from, the complaint adds.

The alleged NCP activists are the party’s Dhaka South unit Member Secretary Engineer SM Shahriar, Organisational Secretary Sadek Mirza, Mirasat Hossain Himel, Shakhawat Hossain and Towsif.

Almost all of them have denied the allegations against them.

Engineer SM Shahriar outright denied having any knowledge of the hotel incident. The states proofs of his involvement in a “women affair” requires proper scrutiny and verification, Shahriar told reporters when contacted.

Sadek Mirza said his comrades, and not himself, lived in the two rooms, and that he visited them only one or two times. He has no further knowledge regarding the two rooms, Sadek said.

Shakhawat Hossain said the two rooms were booked by one of his five accused colleague, who personally “talked about terms” with the authorities. Shakhawat agreed that he lived in the two rooms, but denied having any knowledge about rents.

Mirasat Hossain Hime, chief coordinator at NCP’s unit in Jatrabari Police Station area, said he “did not” remember visiting the room.