A public demonstration has been staged by youth representatives from all walks of life in Sylhet, demanding the immediate cancellation of the withdrawal order for the widely discussed Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Sarwar Alam. The protest rally took place on Sunday, 21 June 2026, starting at 6:00 pm at the Sylhet Court Point and directly in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
This public backlash followed the official withdrawal of Mohammad Sarwar Alam from his dual positions as the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Sylhet. The administrative action was prompted by growing controversy surrounding his management decisions regarding the revered Hazrat Shahjalal Shrine. On Sunday afternoon, 21 June 2026, the Ministry of Public Administration issued an official notification, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Jeti Pru, removing him from his duties in Sylhet with immediate effect and attaching him as a Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration. The circular stated that the order was issued in the public interest under the authority of the President, though it did not explicitly specify the grounds for his sudden removal.
Demonstrators Demand Immediate Reinstatement
During the protest rally, speakers strongly argued that in the structural interest of Sylhet and out of respect for the clear demands of its residents, DC Sarwar Alam must be reinstated to his administrative position. The demonstrators declared that the people of Sylhet would not accept any top-down administrative decision that goes directly against local public opinion. They gathered in significant numbers to voice their opposition to the ministry’s sudden relocation order, urging central authorities to reconsider the decision immediately.
Insights from Civil Society and Public Records
Abdul Karim Kim, the coordinator of the Sylhet chapter of the aggrieved citizens’ movement, Sankhubdha Nagarik Andolan, shared insights regarding the sudden transfer of the Deputy Commissioner. He stated that Mohammad Sarwar Alam had discharged his administrative duties with utmost dedication during his tenure. Notably, during instances of widespread illegal extraction at the Bholaganj Sadapathar white stone site, he played a critical role in executing strict measures against the looters and ensuring the physical restoration and preservation of the environmental site.
Furthermore, Mohammad Sarwar Alam had already established a widespread national reputation from his previous tenure as an executive magistrate for the Rapid Action Battalion, where his anti-corruption drives, anti-adulteration mobile courts, and strict enforcement of regulations received significant public attention. Following his service in the elite force, he was transferred to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment as a Senior Assistant Secretary on 9 November 2020, and was later promoted to the rank of Deputy Secretary on 14 August 2024.
However, Abdul Karim Kim also noted that certain recent enforcement measures taken by the Deputy Commissioner concerning the structural management of the Hazrat Shahjalal Shrine had drawn highly mixed reactions. Specifically, the decisions to seal the traditional donation boxes and the three historic, giant donation cauldrons, locally known as dek, alongside deploying police and Ansar personnel at the shrine premises to oversee collections under a waqf estate management system, were perceived by many followers and devotees as controversial and inappropriate. Critics argued these measures undermined a tradition that had existed for nearly 700 years, while others had initially welcomed the steps to ensure financial transparency.
Background of Mohammad Sarwar Alam’s Tenure
Mohammad Sarwar Alam, an officer of the 27th Bangladesh Civil Service Administration cadre, was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet on 18 August 2025. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Private Secretary to Asif Nazrul, who was the Adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment at the time. His administrative appointment to Sylhet originally came during a period of intense public discussion and local criticism surrounding the systematic theft and looting of white stones from Sylhet’s tourist and extraction sites, where he was explicitly brought in by the government to restore legal order.
According to various administrative and political sources, Sarwar Alam’s tenure was marked by multiple high-profile decisions and initiatives, including ordering a halt to gatherings involving alcohol and cannabis on the shrine premises, which routinely sparked fierce debates both in favour of and against his administration. Ultimately, his latest enforcement measures regarding the historic shrine management generated a massive public reaction, which served as the immediate catalyst for the Ministry of Public Administration to issue his withdrawal and reassignment orders.
