Chief organiser of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in the northern region, Sarjis Alam came under fire from a BNP leader after holding a meeting with government officials in the conference room of Atwari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) in Panchagarh.
These two leaders engaged in a heated argument on the Upazila Parishad premises over the meeting held on Thursday afternoon. Officials from various government departments of the upazila were seen standing by during their argument.
A video of the row between Sarjis Alam and the BNP leader named Matiur Rahman went viral on social media on Thursday evening. Matiur Rahman is said to be a member of the current convening committee of the Atwari Upazila BNP and a former organising secretary.
Reportedly Sarjis Alam went to the office of Atwari Upazila Nirbahi Officer on Thursday afternoon and called the heads of other government offices of the upazila there. Later, he held a meeting with them in the conference room of the UNO office. However, the UNO was not present there. The argument between Sarjis Alam and the BNP leader took place right after the meeting ended.
Regarding the altercation, Matiur Rahman, a member of the BNP convening committee, told Prothom Alo over the phone that he visited several government offices of the Upazila Parishad to deliver the Eid greeting cards of BNP leader Barrister Naushad Zamir. Without finding anyone there, he found out that they were attending a meeting with Sarjis Alam in the UNO office conference room.
Later, when he informed the matter to Boda Upazila Nirbahi Officer also in charge of Atwari upazila over the phone, the UNO could not give any answers as the UNO was not present there. Later, Matiur Rahman informed the matter to Panchagarh additional deputy commissioner (overall) and he was waiting outside the UNO office.
BNP leader Matiur Rahman said, “When the government officers came out of the meeting along with Sarjis Alam, I asked them if they can attend such meetings during office hours. At that time Sarjis Alam came forward to talk to me and I told them that there are no such provisions.”
When asked about this, Sarjis Alam told Prothom Alo over the phone, “Atwari upazila is a very backward upazila. There are no heads in five government offices there. Basically, I just went there while traveling through that area to find out the problems faced by different government officials in the upazila.”
“Later, I sat with them in a room of the UNO office there. Then while I was leaving after speaking to them, a person, I did not even know, came to speak like this. Actually, they cannot do anything themselves and cannot tolerate it if someone else does something. That man too is of the same sort. Things like this will be there. If we pay attention to them, we won’t be able to concentrate on the work,” he added.
The 2 minutes and 40 seconds-long video that went viral showed Sarjis Alam saying, “I told them that I have the scope to do something for the people of Atwari and asked in which areas do they need assistance. Is it good or bad, if I ask them about their problems and they tell me and I can arrange something for Awari.” At the time Matiur Rahman said, “Let that be done through the deputy commissioner and the UNOs.”
In reply, Sarjis Alam said, “I have called upon them for I have the opportunity.” At that time, Matiur Rahman said, “My question is can they attend such meetings? I want to ask them.” Then Sarjis Alam said, “If I ask them about what do they need, should this be done or not. This is not any official meeting.”
At one point Matiur Rahman said, “It was fine till you launched the political party, NCP. Back then we also cooperated in organising the fair (Aloakhowa Raash Mela). Since it’s a political party now.”
Sarjis Alam then said, “If Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir can do it being the secretary general of a party. Can he do it while holding a position in the party; he is not an MP or a minister now, can he? If he can, I can do it too on behalf of a party.”
At that time, Matiur Rahman said, “But he does not have meetings in any conference room.” Then Sarjis Alam replied, “This is not an official meeting.”
Matiur Rahman is heard saying, “I want to ask them under which provision they have come here. Can they, the government officials can hold any meeting with the chief organiser of a political party. They cannot do this. I want to know this as a citizen, under which law they have come here.”
Sarjis Alam then replied, “Who says they cannot.” At that time, Sarjis Alam was heard telling Matiur Rahman multiple times, “Tone down your voice.” Then Sarjis added, “Under the same law you can ask this, I as a citizen can also ask them what problems there are in Atwari.”
When tried to contact Boda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahriar Nazir, who is in additional charge of Atwari Upazila Nirbahi Officer in this regard several times on his cellphone last night, he did not pick up.