University teachers submit memorandum to Home Minister Kamal on Rezaul murder

The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA) has submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on their three-point charter of demands that included immediate arrest of killers of Rajshahi University teacher AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee.

A six-member delegation of the Federation led by its President Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed and General Secretary ASM Maksud Kamal went to the Secretariat on Thursday afternoon and submitted the memorandum.

The federation demanded that the perpetrators of the heinous crime be immediately identified, arrested and brought to justice.

Miscreants had hacked the RU teacher to death near his house in April 23.

Pointing out that police had failed to resolve the recent cases of murder of free thinkers, the federation in its memorandum alleged that “stagnation” had been witnessed in the functioning of the force.

It also questioned the intention of US in seeking to help Bangladesh in the investigation into the recent killings.

“We have noticed that in the name of helping in the investigation, the US is trying to interfere in Bangladesh’s internal matter,” it said.

The federation asked the government and the home minister to be alert against US’s move.

Its other demand was to provide safety and security to people of all walks of life including teachers and freethinkers.

The federation also requested all leaders and opinion makers to refrain from issuing provocative statements that could embolden the miscreants.

It said by killing university teachers, students and freethinkers the perpetrators wanted to strangle freethinking and create instability in centers of learning as well as the entire nation.

In the memorandum the federation said Rezaul never made any statement hurting any one’s religious sentiments.