Shahjahan Ali Manon, Nilphamari District Representative:
The District Commissioner (DC) and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) distributed awards in Nilphamari's Saidpur along with Bangabandhu Parishad and Awami League leaders. There is a huge commotion across the city over the district's highest government official standing side by side with the cronies of the fallen fascist government on the same stage for 4 hours and participating in joint activities at a government college function.
The prize distribution ceremony of the annual sports competition was held at Syedpur Government College on Saturday (March 1). Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nairuzzaman was present as the chief guest at the event from 12:30 pm to 3 pm. Upazila Executive Officer Md. Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui was the special guest. Next to them was Bangabandhu Parishad convener and Upazila Awami League vice-president and former principal of Syedpur College Hafizur Rahman.
Seeing the scene, the local comrades of the anti-discrimination student movement, including the students of the BNP and Jamaat factions, and the guardians and the public, whispered, but initially no one said anything openly. But during the lunch break, the matter came up and some media personnel and conscious students refused the invitation of the principal Golzar Hossain to eat. Although the matter came to the ears of the DC and UNO, they did not pay any attention and completed the award distribution.
Meanwhile, a stir has started after pictures and videos of the event were circulated on social media. It has been said that the administration officials are trying to rehabilitate the Awami League leaders through tactics. As part of this, the DC and UNO spent 4 hours in the company of an identified Awami League leader and think tank.
Golzar Hossain, acting principal of Syedpur Government College, said, "He is not an Awami League leader, but a former principal of this educational institution and he had a great contribution in the nationalization. It was during his time that we successfully raised our demands with the Awami League government. Therefore, the invitation has been made as a courtesy as a token of gratitude."
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nairuzzaman said, "If the head of the organization invites the Awami League leader even though he knows, then what can we do? I don't know who is the Awami League leader and who is the leader of another party. If we had known earlier, we could have avoided the matter tactfully. Now, no kind of discourtesy will be acceptable." Saying this, he handed over the award to only one person and quickly left the venue.
