NIT Silchar Alumnus’ ‘Dogs and Indians’ Meme Sparks Outrage; “My Account Was Hacked”: Bangladesh’s Alphi

A recent graduate of the National Institute of Technology, Silchar, has sparked outrage in Assam and garnered nationwide attention. Identified as Sadat Hossain Alphi, the alumnus has recently completed his Bachelor of Technology from NIT Silchar. He secured admission to NIT Silchar through an ICCR recommendation.

His post that sparked outrage features a meme – “Dogs and Indians are Not Allowed,” where the word ‘Dogs’ is crossed out, implying that Indians are inferior to dogs and are not allowed in Bangladesh. Abusing India and Indians is a sentiment among a certain section of the population in Bangladesh, and prima facie, it seems that Alphi has also joined the bandwagon despite attaining a high-quality education from a Government of India institution.

“I don’t have any hatred for India or Indians; in fact, I have high regard for the country and its population,” said Alphi while speaking with Barak Bulletin. When questioned about the post that went viral on social media, Alphi responded, “I had shared a post about the NIRF ranking of NIT Silchar. In the comments section of that post, I had many people hurling abuses and questioning my integrity. Some of my compatriots even unfriended me. Following that, I stopped using my Facebook account. However, I realised that my account was compromised and anti-India content had been shared. The moment it came to my notice, I recovered my account and deleted the post.”

Some former students of the National Institute of Technology, Silchar, alleged that Alphi has connections with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), chaired by Sheikh Hasina’s primary opposition, Khaleda Zia. The allegations tied Alphi’s father and uncle to the party. “I do not have a political background; neither my father nor my uncle is linked to the BNP. My father is a teacher, and my uncle works at a local municipal corporation. These allegations are baseless rumours,” said Alphi.

While there were students against him, some of them even spoke in his support. “Yes, there were some issues that we had to face because of some students, but Alphi wasn’t one of them. He was actively involved in academics and extracurricular activities. Moreover, he would participate in Saraswati Puja celebrations in the hostel and institution and perform his roles with respect. In the last four years, he has never left an impression as if he is anti-India or radical,” said another student from Bangladesh following a faith different from that of Alphi.

Meanwhile, Cachar Police took note of the social media post and shared, “In response to the dissemination of objectionable posts on social media, a comprehensive enquiry was conducted, involving a visit to the institution and interactions with officials and students. The investigation revealed that the offensive post was made by one Sadat Hossain Alphi, Course: B.Tech, Branch: Computer Science Engineering. Duration 2020-2024 July, an alumnus of NIT Silchar, who is currently residing in Bangladesh. The institution is actively addressing the matter with the competent authorities, while we are keeping a sharp vigil and efforts continue to ensure peace and tranquillity.”

Sources in NIT Silchar revealed that the institution, on Sunday, organised a “Brainstorming” session with all current students of NIT Silchar hailing from Bangladesh. In the session, the students were urged to behave responsibly on social platforms and refrain from participating in the anti-India sloganeering unfolding in Bangladesh.