NCP’s Sarjis Alam sparks controversy after chanting slogans inside Sylhet shrine

Leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) have sparked controversy for chanting political slogans and holding a procession inside the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R) in Sylhet last night.

A video showing NCP northern region’s chief coordinator Sarjis Alam chanting slogans inside the shrine premises has widely circulated on social media.

In the footage, Sarjis is seen delivering a series of slogans while hundreds of supporters respond in chorus.

NCP Convener Nahid Islam, Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, and other central leaders arrived in Sylhet yesterday to attend the party’s divisional iftar programme at a community centre.

Later at night, Nasiruddin Patwary and Sarjis Alam went to the shrine to perform Taraweeh prayers, while thousands of supporters gathered at the shrine to see them.

At one point, Sarjis climbed onto the roof of the women’s prayer hall and began chanting slogans such as “Delhi or Dhaka — Dhaka, Dhaka”, “Delhi or Sylhet –Sylhet, Sylhet”, and “Freedom or slavery — freedom, freedom”. Hundreds of activists joined him.

Visiting the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal has long been a customary practice for politicians travelling to Sylhet. However, political processions or slogan chanting inside the shrine premises have rarely been reported in the past.

Fatehullah Al Aman, the mutawalli (administrative head) of the shrine, said, “Never in history has anyone chanted political slogans inside the shrine; this is the very first time. The matter is even more criticised as the Taraweeh prayer was in progress inside the mosque.”

“We were stunned by the situation. After criticism erupted, some NCP leaders came to the shrine in the morning and offered an apology for the incident,” he added.

The incident has triggered strong reactions in Sylhet, with many saying such an event had never occurred in the city before.

Mahbub Alam, deputy office secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Sylhet district unit, criticised the move in a Facebook post.

“Chanting slogans inside the sacred premises of the shrine mosque cannot be considered a sign of political decency or etiquette,” he wrote.

Civic and environmental activist Abdul Karim Kim also criticised the incident on Facebook.

“No political party had ever chanted political slogans during visits to the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal in the past. The behaviour of NCP leaders during the visit violated the etiquette of the Sufi shrine as Sarjis Alam chanted slogans from the roof of the women’s prayer area,” he wrote.

Efforts to reach any National Citizen Party leader or member for comment were unsuccessful.