Teachers boycott classes to protest political repression in Bangladesh

Teachers in Bangladeshs main Dhaka University on Sunday observed a five-hour work abstention as a mark of protest against repressive measures on top political leaders by the army-backed administration.

By Nazrul Islam

Dhaka, July 22 : Teachers in Bangladesh's main Dhaka University on Sunday observed a five-hour work abstention as a mark of protest against repressive measures on top political leaders by the army-backed administration.

"We observed a very peaceful protest programme participated by all the university teachers giving the message to the administration that they should rethink their strategy," Professor Anwar Hossain, General Secretary of Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA), told Asian News International.

He expressed the hope that good sense will prevail and the Fakhruddin Ahmed's government would respond positively to the teachers' five-point decision that they resolved following the arrest of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 16.

Teachers demanded unconditional release of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and stop repression on Khaleda Zia, another former Prime Minister of the country. They condemned the administration's reported move to keep away the two influential leaders from politics in the name of reforms.

No classes were held till 1 p.m. (local time) and presence of students in the campus was almost nil. Regular examinations were out of the purview of the protest programme.

Teachers took classes Saturday, on the first day of two-day programme, wearing black badges to press home their demand that also included removal of an adviser, Mainul Hosein, from the council of adviser.

Asked whether the DUTA is going to announce fresh protest programme, the general secretary said that he believes that the government would act in a way that they need not to go for further actions.

"We want restoration of democratic atmosphere, we don't want the state of emergency anymore," Anwar said.

DUTA at the meeting on Thursday decided to observe the two-day programme protesting against what they said the government's actions beyond its constitutional mandate.

A group of students, the members of the Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League, meantime, called a country-wide strike in the educational institution violating the state of emergency demanding release of Sheikh Hasina.

Little activities of the activists were seen across the country, batter by heavy rain for the last two days.

The authorities beefed up security throughout the country.

Students and teachers of the Dhaka University had played a pivotal role in all democratic movements. Beginning from the struggle for language in 1952, the students in Bangladesh remained in the leading position in all the movements, including the country's liberation war in 1971 and anti-autocratic movement in the 1980s leading to resumption of a democratic system of governance in 1990.

ANI