Hasnat Abdullah, Convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and Sarjis Alam, the Central Coordinator, were scheduled to visit Rangpur. However, while Sarjis arrived as expected, Hasnat did not attend. Former Rangpur City Mayor and Jatiya Party Co-Chairman Mostafizur Rahman characterized Hasnat’s absence as a “symbolic victory.”
Rangpur was abuzz with discussions about the anticipated visit of Hasnat and Sarjis, alongside the Jatiya Party’s organized protest and rally. When asked about Hasnat’s absence, Mostafizur Rahman commented, “We consider this a form of victory for us. Although Sarjis Alam was in Rangpur, he was part of the IGP’s entourage, so we limited our protest gathering to an hour. Should they conduct any future activities independently, Jatiya Party will take action to counter them.”
Mostafizur added, “Our party had previously declared these two coordinators unwelcome in Rangpur. We were informed at short notice of their intended arrival here as part of the IGP’s program. In response, our members organized protest rallies last night and again today.”
In response to Hasnat and Sarjis’s visit, the Jatiya Party staged a one-hour demonstration on Rangpur’s main streets from 12:15 to 1:15 PM on Saturday. The rally, led by Mostafizur Rahman, began at the party office on Central Road, with many participants carrying banners and sticks. The procession moved through key areas before concluding with an assembly at Payera Chattar.
The context of the tensions dates back to recent political dialogues held by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Interim Government’s Chief Advisor, with various political parties on election-related issues, including the Jatiya Party. Expressing disapproval of this engagement, Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah had previously referred to the Jatiya Party as an ally of the ruling Awami League in social media posts, causing unrest among Jatiya Party supporters. As a result, on October 14, the Jatiya Party declared Hasnat and Sarjis unwelcome in Rangpur.
Imran Ahmed, a representative of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Rangpur, explained that Hasnat’s absence was due to a prior commitment. Sarjis attended a session at Begum Rokeya University and returned to Dhaka via Syedpur Airport afterward. Earlier, he had attended the Rangpur Metropolitan Police’s sixth-anniversary event at the Police Lines School and College Auditorium and later delivered remarks at an Anti-Discrimination Student Movement meeting at Begum Rokeya University.
