Even Yunus won’t be spared if he betrays the uprising’s ideals, says Sarjis

He vows that the bodies of those martyred in the July-August uprising will not be allowed to be exhumed

Anti-discrimination Student Movement Coordinator Sarjis Alam has said there will be no leniency for anyone who betrays the ideals of the July-August mass uprising.

Speaking at a financial aid distribution event for the families of those killed during the student movement in Rajshahi Division, Sarjis emphasised that even Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus would not be spared if he turned against the movement's principles.

He said, "We would like to request everyone, not just the Bangladesh Police, but also the Bangladesh Army and the interim government, that we are not anyone's blind agents. We are not power-hungry. If, in our conscience, we feel that someone is betraying the ideals of this uprising —even if it’s Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus—we will not hesitate to hold them accountable."

The event, held on Saturday at the Rajshahi Shilpakala Academy, was organised by the July Martyrs' Memorial Foundation.

A total of 46 families received Tk 500,000 each in financial aid.

Sarjis, also the general secretary of the foundation, along with administrative officials, handed over the cheques to the grieving families.

Earlier in his speech, Sarjis said: “If there was no need to exhume the bodies of Bangabandhu and his family for justice, then why should the bodies of those martyrs, who were killed under the orders of murderer Sheikh Hasina during the 2024 mass uprising, be exhumed?”

“The bodies of those involved in the mass uprising, who were martyred, will not be allowed to be exhumed.”

He continued, “We want to remind the home and law ministries that no one has the right to dig up the bodies of those who sacrificed their lives for a new Bangladesh. Those of you sitting in your positions today owe it to those martyrs, and you must never allow their graves to be disturbed.”

Sarjis also reiterated that anyone hindering the legal proceedings of these murder cases would also be considered complicit in the killings.

“Hasina claims that India will remember for a lifetime what we have given them. So, let me make one thing clear: the future of Bangladesh-India relations will be determined by India’s actions,” he said.

Sarjis concluded, “The murderer Hasina, who has killed so many people in Bangladesh and fled, the same Hasina who was ousted by the people of this country, you [India] have given her shelter. If you wish to maintain good relations with Bangladesh, you must return the murderer Hasina instead of offering her refuge.”