"Same old story" says Mahfuj Alam, Tasnim Jara sees "long political journey ahead" - Prothom Alo English

(From left) Mahfuj Alam, Samantha Sharmin and Tasnim Jara.CollageFollowing Samantha Sharmin's resignation from the National Citizen Party (NCP), Mahfuj Alam and Tasnim Jara have shared posts regarding her on Facebook.

A smear campaign was launched against Samantha Sharmin, alleged Mahfuj Alam, former adviser to the interim government and organiser of the new political platform 'Alternatives’. Meanwhile, physician and young politician Tasnim Jara has spoken highly of her.

Samantha Sharmin resigned from NCP on Thursday afternoon. Later that night, Tasnim Jara published a post praising her on Facebook. Mahfuj Alam also posted about Samantha Sharmin on Friday morning.

NCP was formed out of the National Citizen Committee, where Samantha Sharmin served as a spokesperson.

Mahfuz Alam posted about Samantha Sharmin.Referring to this background, Mahfuj Alam wrote in his Facebook post that those who played a key role in the transformation and expansion of the six-member Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Liaison Committee into the National Citizens’ Committee, which had more than 400 members, are now being subjected to smear campaigns and malicious propaganda.

He noted that many such incidents had occurred before, adding that the party's leadership at the time had established this precedent from the day the party was founded. The same thing happened to Samantha Sharmin on Thursday, he added.

In his post, Mahfuj Alam said the party would not have been formed so quickly without the people who played key roles in the Liaison Committee and the National Citizens’ Committee. He wrote, "So, be grateful to those who laid the foundation but left because of the alliance. They worked day and night and that is why you found the party in a certain shape. If you cannot show gratitude, at least remain silent for the sake of political coexistence and healthy practices."

Tasnim Jara praised Samantha Sharmin In her Facebook post.In her Facebook post, Tasnim Jara praised Samantha Sharmin warmly. She wrote that there is no shortage of people who want to speak in politics but very few come to listen. Samantha was one of those few people.

She works tirelessly, yet whenever someone approaches her to speak, she stops and listens fully. She never lets anyone feel that she is in a rush. She reaches out to people to understand their lives and to stand beside them.

Tasnim Jara added, "Her political journey still has a long way to go. Our politics needs more people like her and they deserve a much bigger place in it."

Samantha Sharmin was among the founding leaders of NCP. When the young people who led the July mass uprising formed the party nearly two years ago, she became its senior convener.

A former student of Dhaka University, Samantha Sharmin most recently served as a joint convener of NCP. She left the party two weeks after being demoted in its reconstituted committee.

Explaining her decision to leave, Samantha Sharmin said the NCP is being swallowed up by Jamaat-e-Islami because it lacks a clear political ‘line’ of its own. She said the party of young people who led the mass uprising is now having to play a reactionary and supporting role for Jamaat on various issues.

Samantha also believes that NCP's decision to contest the election as a subordinate appendage of a larger political party has exhausted the possibility of developing its own new political platform. She further said NCP's stance has been aligning with conservative political trends that are hostile to women. Samantha also expressed dissatisfaction with the reconstitution of the NCP committee without holding a council.