Rangpur students protest JP's persona non grata declaration against Sarjis, Hasnat

Students in Rangpur staged a demonstration in protest of Jatiya Party's (JP) decision to declare Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah, the top coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, as "persona non grata" in the city on Tuesday. 

The protest began around 3:30 AM with a procession starting at Rangpur Medical intersection, which paraded through various streets, including Shaheed Mukhter Elahi Chattar and the Check-post, before returning to its starting point. The students were seen chanting slogans condemning the Jatiya Party's decision, and later, they held a rally attended by leaders of the student movement.

During the rally, speakers criticized JP's actions and demanded an immediate apology. They warned that if the party does not retract its decision, they would mobilize further resistance against JP in Rangpur. The protesters also asserted that Jatiya Party has no authority to declare Sarjis and Hasnat as persona non grata.

This reaction comes after Md Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa, co-chairman of Jatiya Party and former mayor of Rangpur City Corporation, made the declaration, stating that Sarjis and Hasnat would remain persona non grata in the city until they withdraw their statements against the Jatiya Party.

The situation remains tense as the student movement continues to demand justice and accountability from the Jatiya Party.