Sarjis has been declared unwelcome in Bandarban by the Parbatya Chhatra Parishad

Staff Correspondent

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Students’ Council has declared Sarjis Alam, the chief organizer (northern region) of the National Citizens Party (NCP), as unwanted in Bandarban. The decision was taken citing that the dignity of the hilly region has been degraded by calling Bandarban a ‘place of punishment’.

The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Bandarban Press Club on Sunday afternoon, July 20. The event was attended by students’ council vice-president Mahir Iftekhar, Khalid Bin Nazrul, Zubair Islam and Asif Islam, as well as other leaders.

Student leaders said at the press conference that in a speech given during the ‘July Padayatra’ in Panchagarh on July 3, Sarjis Alam referred to Bandarban as “a place for transferring corrupt and extortionist officials as punishment.”

They claim that such comments are extremely insulting and condemnable. It is tantamount to insulting the honor and dignity of not only Bandarban but the entire Chittagong Hill Tracts, and through it, a naked picture of state discrimination has been revealed.

Asif Islam said that although Sarjis Alam was supposed to publicly apologize at the march organized by the NCP in Bandarban on July 19, he was not present and none of the party’s central leaders spoke out about the issue.

In light of this, the student council announced that all activities and presence of the NCP in Bandarban will be considered undesirable until Sarjis Alam publicly apologizes.

In addition, the student leaders also demanded the immediate withdrawal of government officials who are posted in the hilly areas as ‘punitive transfers’.