Sarjis Alam: Jatiya Nagorik Committee will remain apolitical

Sarjis Alam, the general secretary of the July Shaheed Smrity Foundation and chief organizer of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee (National Citizens Committee), stated on Friday that both the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee are non-political platforms and will continue to maintain this stance in the future.

Speaking at a view-exchange meeting organized by the Jatiya Nagorik Committee in Panchagarh, Sarjis Alam emphasized that the platform would serve as a pressure group to ensure accountability, irrespective of the ruling government.

"Our goal is to foster future leadership in Bangladesh," he added.

Criticizing past administrations, he condemned the culture of lobbying, calling it an obstacle to genuine reform. "We aim to initiate a cleansing campaign. I don’t believe in lobbying," Sarjis said.

He also accused Sheikh Hasina of engaging in various wrongdoings under the guise of infrastructural development over the last 16 years, pointing out, "Sheikh Hasina has showcased projects like the metro rail, Padma Bridge, Expressway, and Karnaphuli Tunnel in the past 16 years."

"One term should be enough to complete a few such projects, but over the last three to four terms, these infrastructures have been used to cover up misdeeds and corruption," Sarjis remarked.

He cautioned that using major infrastructure projects to conceal systemic issues could result in long-term negative consequences for the country.