The attack on the teachers of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) by pro-government students has triggered an outpouring of anger in the social media.
Published : 30 Aug 2015, 10:33 PM
The teachers were demonstrating against Vice-Chancellor Aminul Haque Bhuyian and came under attack by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists on Sunday morning.
The members of the ruling Awami League’s student affiliate were seen kicking and pulling out their teachers from the sit-in.
Prof Yasmeen Haque was injured after falling to the ground.
“Chheeh!”, or shame, is what Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil wrote in a Facebook post. He was a BCL leader in his Dhaka University student days.
“What kind of students, Chhatra League members are they who beat up teachers? Arrest these criminals and punish them,” he wrote on his wall.
“From a baby in the mother’s womb to teachers; please do not shame us anymore!” he added, referencing a gunfight between pro-government groups, including BCL men, in Magura that left the unborn baby with bullet wounds.
Blogger Arifur Rahman wrote that Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, a teacher of the university and science fiction writer, was ‘childish’ to exclaim in a TV show seeing the ‘goons’ attacking the demonstrating teachers raising the ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan.
“He may have not figured out until now that the politicians of this country don’t see anything other than possible rivals,” he added.
Mahbub Rajib wrote: “Such incidents are very painful. I feel bad, especially for the leader (Awami League chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina).
However, the pro-government faction claims the movement is a conspiracy to destabilise the university.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid 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.