If the youth abandon politics, the entire nation will suffer: Sarjis Alam

Sarjis Alam. Sketch: TBS

On 2 February 2017, a group of freshers gathered in room no. 104 of Shahid Salam Bhaban at Amar Ekushey Hall of Dhaka University. Among them was Sarjis Alam, a youth from Panchagarh, the northernmost region of Bangladesh. He was enrolled in the Department of Zoology.

The room was very dirty and messy. They cleaned it up and laid out mattresses together. There were about 40 of them in that room. This is what is called a 'Gonoroom'.

"To get a spot in this congested Gonoroom, you need a recommendation from the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). As a result, joining politics becomes mandatory for everyone. Then there's the guest room culture, where you have to face ragging and bullying in the name of getting introduced. The problem is that this whole environment pushes you far away from your studies. For instance, my first-year results were very poor," Sarjis recalled.

Sarjis was born and raised in Bamonkumar village in the Alowakhoa union of Atwari upazila in Panchagarh district. The village is just two to three kilometres away from the Bangladesh-India border. He grew up in a completely non-communal environment, where the number of Hindus and Muslims is nearly equal, and people of other religions also coexist.

Sarjis passed his secondary level from Alowakhoa Tafshili School and College. Then he moved to the capital to attend BAF Shaheen College. As a student, Sarjis has always been very bright. He was the first boy of his class and became one of the only two students in the entire upazila who secured GPA 5 in all subjects in SSC.

Debating has played a significant role in shaping Sarjis into the rational person he is today. It has enhanced his communication and organising skills and developed his ability to think critically about any issue.

"In 2014, we won the championship in a debate competition, defeating 31 schools from various districts and upazilas. We were the only school from the union to participate. I still consider it one of my greatest achievements," Sarjis recalled with a smile.

At Dhaka University, he served as the general secretary of the Ekushey Debating Club, founded the Zoology Departmental Debating Club, and participated in various national debates representing the Dhaka University Debating Club.

From victim to activist

In 2018, during the anti-quota movement, many Chhatra League members tried to sabotage it. Sarjis wrote about them on Facebook, which angered them. He was summoned alone to the guest room, his family was contacted and informed.

"The biggest curse for Dhaka University has been the mandatory student politics. I don't know what good it does, but its negative impact in the long term is irrevocable. DU has to suffer a lot and pay for it," Sarjis later wrote on Facebook in 2022. It again triggered some top central BCL leaders. They strictly warned that he would be boycotted, his political journey would end there. They also questioned his father's role in politics. 

"My father is a businessman and is involved in Awami League politics in our area. However, I have never seen anything dishonest in him, and no one in the area can say otherwise. So, whenever I made reasonable criticisms of the government on various issues, my father never discouraged me; instead, he often agreed with me," he said.

Sarjis left the BCL in 2022. Despite all the pressure he faced, Sarjis remained firm on his moral stance. "These hundreds of students are exploited while the central committee leaders of BCL enjoy the benefits of it. This does nothing for the ordinary students themselves," he claimed.

It was the 2019 Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election that marked a turning point in his journey. After 28 long years, the DUCSU election was held. Sarjis participated in the hall council election. He received even more votes than the then vice president and general secretary of the hall council, and became a representative of the students. It greatly boosted his confidence.

But Sarjis still had no plans to join politics. After completing his masters, he even attended the 46th BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) exam and passed the preliminary round. But then the quota issue appeared and he eventually found himself in the frontline of the movement.

Days in DB custody

Sarjis was detained on 27 July and taken to the DB (Detective Branch) office where he found the five other coordinators — Nahid, Asif, Abu Baker, Hasnat and Nusrat. Officials claimed that it was for their 'own safety'. But how safe and sound were they? Sarjis Alam shares his experience here.

"Everyone has a fear of DB. We were weak and nervous. Everything that happened there was scripted. We were filmed dining together with DB chief Harun, giving the impression that we were having a wonderful time!"

But the truth is that they were kept in separate rooms. "Our phones were seized, so we had no way to communicate with each other. We were allowed to make a phone call to our families only once a day, and that too using their phones for just two minutes.

"Even in prison, several people stay together and can chat. Being isolated like this is mentally  distressing. I have also heard about physical abuse from several coordinators who were there with us. I have seen many ordinary students being confined in a room with 20 or 30 others, merely for supporting the logical quota movement. This scene was deeply distressing," Sarjis recounted.

On 28 July, he was summoned to DB Chief Harun's room. There, he found only Nahid, holding a piece of paper. Nahid told him that it was a press release that they would have to read out. Sarjis immediately asked him why he had agreed to sign off on this. 

"We have no other way," he replied.

However, it only backfired as people saw through the facade and also the coordinators had pre-planned that their next layer of coordinators would carry on the protest in the streets if such a situation appeared.

"It felt like our movement might be coming to a halt. However, private university students coming out to the streets the next day was unexpected. This was a turning point. The second turning point was when we were taken to the DB office. The third significant event was the indiscriminate shooting of unarmed, innocent people. But these events ultimately fueled public anger and strengthened the movement."

At what moments during the movement did it feel like it was slipping away? In response to that, Sarjis said the first time was on 17 July — when students were evicted from the hall. 

"It felt like our movement might be coming to a halt. However, private university students coming out to the streets the next day was unexpected. This was a turning point. The second turning point was when we were taken to the DB office. The third significant event was the indiscriminate shooting of unarmed, innocent people. But these events ultimately fueled public anger and strengthened the movement," he added.

New political party in the making?

During this movement, the name of a student organisation has been in circulation: Gonotantrik Chhatra Shokti (Democratic Student Power). The non-partisan student organisation was founded on 4 October 2023, under the leadership of Akhtar Hossain, former social welfare secretary of DUCSU.

Nahid Islam and Abu Baker Majumdar were member secretaries of the organisation, while Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan was the convener of its DU committee. All of them led the recent movement from the forefront. Thus, there are talks that this organisation has appeared in the guise of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

"It is true that most of the members are also members of that organisation, but this is absolutely coincidental. It happened because of shared democratic ideals. On an individual level, Akhtar Hossain or Mahfuj Abdullah [chief strategist for the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement] often provided mental support and strategic guidance, which helped us make our decisions, nothing more. This is a movement of the masses and it all happened only because of their interest."

Following the collapse of the fascist regime, the crucial question is who will assume control next. For 16 years, the fascist government has completely lost people's trust. Other major political parties also don't have a reliable track record. People are now looking for something new. Just a couple of weeks ago, the youth rallied behind the slogan 'Who are you? Who am I? Alternative, alternative.' 

"A new team should emerge with the participation of the youth and the experience of the older generation. It will create competition and thus a democratic environment. It is crucial to break free from their conventional mindset of recognising just two brands. As representatives, we must elect those who speak for the people, keep their promises, and possess impressive personalities.

"We called and the people took to the streets. It's because they placed their trust in us. Now, they have higher expectations from us to take on a leadership role, and we are discussing how to move in that direction. Our mindset is positive. We hope to officially announce such a platform in the near future," Sarjis said.

Political ambitions

To establish democracy, competitive elections are paramount. People must have the freedom to vote independently. That being said, many demand a ban of various political parties. Sarjis believes that it should be left to the people. 

"It's people's choice whether they would accept or reject them," he stated.

He also believes that young people who care about the country and wish to shape it positively should have hope in politics. If the youth abandon this field because they think it has been corrupted, the entire nation will suffer the consequences.

"The lives, rights, and well-being of the entire nation depend on the 300 individuals seated in Parliament. They are the policymakers. That's why politics is, in reality, a part of every person's life. We can't completely separate ourselves from it, even if we want to. We must speak up for our rights and against injustice," he said.

Sarjis has been one of the most vocal and visible faces throughout the protest. After the interim government was announced, people asked why his name was not in the advisory panel, while two of his fellow coordinators, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud were there.

"I firmly believe that they both are capable enough for their current roles. We knew the path after the fascist government's fall wouldn't be smooth. We decided that we need strong leadership on the ground as well. Moreover, we have to engage and interact with the people. We had to organise ourselves as well. That's why some of the key coordinators including me are here."

Asked if Sarjis idolises any political figure, he replied, "No one like that. But yes, I admire Tajuddin Ahmad." 

How does Sarjis evaluate himself? 

"I believe I am honest, kind, just, and tolerant of all religions. Also, I really enjoy interacting with people," he answered.