I should hang myself if any of those who attacked teachers are my students: Zafar Iqbal

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology teacher and writer Muhammed Zafar Iqbal has condemned the attack on a group of teachers by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.

Members of the Chhatra League, a student body affiliated to the ruling Awami League, attacked demonstrators demanding the removal of the vice-chancellor.

They swooped down on the agitators around 8:30am on Sunday, snatching their banner before manhandling and pushing them away from the administrative building.

A teachers’ faction - ‘Mohan Muktijuddher Chetanay Udbuddha Shikshak Parishad’ - has been seeking the VC’s removal for the past few months.

They had announced a sit-in in front of the administrative building between 9am and 5pm.

The VC, Aminul Haque Bhuiyan, convened an Academic Council meeting at 3pm, raising tension on the campus.

Even as the teachers were being manhandled, Bhuiyan entered the building and went to his office on the first floor without caring to intervene.

Zafar Iqbal sat alone in the university’s roundabout some ten yards away from the site of the scuffle.

The Computer Science and Engineering teacher reacted sharply to the incident. “If any of those who attacked the teachers are my students, I should hang myself to death.”

A popular science fiction writer, he said although he was not joining the demonstration, he ‘empathised’ with the agitating teachers.

“I fully support the reason why they are demonstrating. I had stopped working with this vice chancellor two months after he joined.

“That’s because I have seen that he lies. It is not possible for me to work with someone who lies.”

Reacting to the scuffle, Iqbal said, “Today was a new experience for me. I never imagined I would have to see something like this in my life.

“Although I am not killing myself, this is causing me severe psychological suffering. How could the students of our university assault their teachers and I had to see that happen sitting here?”

He alleged the VC was behind the attack. “If he thinks he can stifle the movement in this manner, he is making a mistake. The teachers are not demonstrating for positions, but to save SUST.”

The teacher’s platform has been demonstrating since Apr 12, accusing the VC of misconduct, irregularities and corruption.

However, the pro-government faction claims the movement is a conspiracy to destabilise the university.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has sat with both the sides to resolve the crisis.

An order was also issued curbing the VC’s powers to make appointments, assign new duties, and introduce new systems.

But the movement has persisted with the VC Bhuiyan refusing to resign.