Sarjis clarifies helicopter controversy, reason for not visiting Magura rape victim in ICU

NCP leader Sarjis Alam addressed concerns over his use of a helicopter to attend janaza of eight-year-old rape victim in Magura, as well as questions about why he did not visit her in the ICU before her passing. 

In a Facebook post on Saturday, he said, "When I heard that the girl was no more, I rushed to the CMH. Upon learning that there were vacant seats on the helicopter allocated for family by the army and RAB, I expressed my wish to attend her funeral in Magura. After the funeral, I returned to Dhaka." 

He also explained why he had not visited her in the ICU, writing, "I went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. When I learned that she was in the ICU, I did not enter because there is a risk of infection from visitors. Instead, I gathered information from outside and left without posting any pictures." 

Sarjis also said when she was later transferred to CMH in critical condition, he visited the hospital in the evening with members of his party. But since ICU visits were strictly prohibited, he stayed outside, spoke with the on-duty doctor, and received updates before returning home.

He refrained from posting about this on social media but continued to check on her condition through student representatives from his party, Sarjis said. 

Responding to criticism regarding his public presence during the case, Sarjis said, "Let's talk straight about this 'footage' issue. A brutal crime was committed against my sister. From my position, I immediately informed the police administration and urged swift action to arrest the accused." 

He added, "The High Court later announced that rape trials must be completed within 180 days. I personally shared my opinion with an important official, suggesting that even 180 days is too long. The trial should be concluded within one to two months—otherwise, public attention fades, and the punishment loses its deterrent effect. However, I did not post about this on Facebook." 

He criticised the media and the public for selectively judging incidents based on social media activity, saying, "People assume that whatever is posted online is the full picture. If nothing is shared, they think nothing has been done. It's as if the focus is only on 'footage.' If something is posted, people call it 'attention-seeking,' but if nothing is shared, they claim nothing happened. When will this double standard be replaced with a single, consistent standard?" 

He also accused certain media outlets of misrepresenting his activities. "The funeral was at 7pm. We arrived at 5:30pm and waited in a room for an hour and a half. At one point, I briefly checked my phone notifications. At that exact moment, someone took a picture and Kaler Kantho, like many other times, published it on their online portal, showing their unprofessionalism. They also made it look like we were just sitting there staring at our phones the whole time. They could have used a normal picture of us sitting there at any other time if they wanted to. But they didn't do that in the hope of getting more reactions."

"If you sit somewhere for 90 minutes, wouldn't you check your phone at least once? Yet, the media portrayed it as if we did nothing else." 

Sarjis concluded by urging critics to focus on real actions rather than online narratives.

"It's easy to analyse from behind a screen. But those whom you criticise—despite constraints and limitations—are the ones actually on the ground, taking action. Before making another online-based judgment, I request that you also set an example for us to follow. We are eager to learn from your good work. Take care," he wrote.