Sarjis Alam, the General Secretary of the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the interim government`s advisory council.
Speaking at an event in Rangpur, he raised concerns about the lack of representation from certain divisions, saying, "While 13 advisers have been chosen from Chittagong, there is no one from Rangpur, Rajshahi, or Mymensingh. Is there really no one from these divisions who is qualified to run a ministry? We cannot accept regional bias."
Sarjis Alam made these comments on Saturday morning at the "Bangladesh Stands with Martyrs` Families" event, held at the Rangpur District Shilpakala Academy.
He also criticized the appointment of filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki as an adviser to the interim government.
Alam suggested that Farooki had spent his career aligning with those in power, rather than standing up for the people.
"Farooki has always done whatever it took to stay close to power. How do such people get appointed as advisers? We don’t want people who kept silent during tough times, just looking out for themselves," he said.
When talking about the call for Akhtar Hossain, former Social Welfare Secretary of the Dhaka University Student Union, to be included in the advisory council, Alam praised his commitment to the people.
"During the difficult times of the past regime, Akhtar Hossain shed his blood for the cause. He was on the front lines of the movement every day. His dedication and sacrifices must be recognized," he added.
Alam also spoke out against the ongoing issue of "case trading," where people use money to influence legal cases, especially after the July uprising.
He said, "This is not just happening in Rangpur, but across the whole country. We want to make it clear that we will not allow the memory of our martyrs and the suffering of our injured brothers to be used for business. People are buying and selling names in cases, and this must stop."
The event was organized by the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation and also attended by Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, Social Welfare Adviser Sharmin Morshed, and the Foundation’s CEO, Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, among others.
