Student leaders in Bandarban, at a Sunday press conference, demanded a public apology from NCP leader Sarjis Alam over his derogatory remarks about the district and Chittagong Hill Tracts and declared him and all NCP activities unwelcome in the district until he apologizes.
The students referred to a comment made by Sarjis Alam during the July procession in Panchagarh on July 3, where he reportedly described Bandarban as a “punishment posting” area for corrupt and extortionist officials.
Terming the statement deeply offensive and insulting, the student leaders said such remarks from a political leader not only demean the dignity of the district but also expose a blatant example of institutional neglect and discrimination towards the hill tracts.
They said that after learning of the remark, they contacted local NCP leaders and were assured that Sarjis would offer a public apology during the July 19 event in Bandarban.
Based on that assurance, they refrained from launching any protest.
However, Sarjis was absent from the event and no central NCP leader addressed the issue.
When student representatives approached the stage after the program to raise the matter, they were ignored and the leaders left the venue without any response.
The student leaders emphasized that Sarjis’s remark deeply hurt the people of Bandarban.
They asserted that Bandarban is not an isolated or insignificant region but a historically, culturally and ethnically rich area whose residents are peace-loving, dignified and rights-conscious.
Referring to it as a place of punishment for wrongdoers is tantamount to insulting the entire hill population, they said.
At the press conference, student leader Asif Islam announced: “Until Sarjis offers a public apology, all activities of the NCP and his presence in Bandarban are declared completely unwelcome. Furthermore, government officials posted in Bandarban as a form of ‘punishment transfer’ must be withdrawn immediately. The government must also take strict action to prevent the portrayal of the Chittagong Hill Tracts as ‘dangerous’ or a place for corrupt officials.”
President of the Hill Tracts Student Council, Asif Iqbal, said: “Insulting Bandarban is equivalent to denying our existence. If such disrespect continues, we will organize mass resistance, regardless of the offender’s political affiliation. No political leader will be tolerated if they undermine the dignity of our land.”
