Army should not interfere in politics: Sarjis

Military intervention in domestic politics is not desirable, said Sarjis Alam, chief organiser (north) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), today (24 March).

"Instead, the armed forces should remain committed to their national duties and responsibilities," he said while talking to journalists at Syedpur Airport in Nilphamari this morning.

Addressing speculations, Alam clarified that there is no internal disagreement within the NCP regarding the recent meeting he and Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (south) of NCP, had with Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman.

He also urged people to reject narratives about reviving the Awami League under any name, including a so-called "Refined Awami League."

Describing rumours as a social illness, Sarjis called on the government to establish an anti-rumour cell to tackle misinformation.

Additionally, he advised citizens to stay vigilant against false propaganda. 

Later in the day, Sarjis is scheduled to address multiple roadside gatherings across five upazilas in Panchagarh, as part of the NCP's ongoing political activities.

Saying the matter of a "Refined Awami League" was an opinion and not a proposal, Sarjis Alam earlier expressed "some disagreements" with the statements made by NCP Chief Organiser (South) Hasnat Abdullah regarding their 11 March meeting with Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman.

"The way Hasnat observed and received the army chief's statement that day and wrote about it on Facebook differs somewhat from my perspective," Sarjis wrote in a post on his verified Facebook page published at 12:12pm yesterday (23 March).

His post came several hours after Netra News in a report said the Bangladesh Army denied the allegations made by Hasnat, where he claimed senior military officials pressured him and two others to accept a so-called "refined" faction of the Awami League.