People from all walks of life join protest against Narayanganj teacher’s humiliation

Writers, artists, teachers and students have held a demonstration in Dhaka to condemn the humiliation of a schoolteacher in Narayanganj.

The demonstrators demanded punishment for MP AKM Salim Osman and his cohorts involved in the incident.
 
Salim had forced the Piyar Sattar Latif High School headmaster, Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, to do sit-ups holding his ears for having allegedly ‘hurt religious sentiments’.
 
The protest at Shahbagh in front of the National Museum on Tuesday was organised by a platform of writers, artists, teachers, students and cultural workers.
 
A banner read: “Not just one teacher, but the whole of Bangladesh was made to do sit-ups holding its ears.”
 
About 300 people from all walks of life, including human rights activists, joined the show of condemnation.
 

Advocate Sultana Kamal, advisor to an erstwhile caretaker government, was among the protesters. “There is anarchy in the country. Some people are cocking a snook at the Constitution, our laws, principles, and morality to pursue their interests. They are not in the least ashamed or embarrassed,” she said.

She urged people to reject such leaders and MPs. “What a lawmaker has done in Narayanganj is illegal... No one can take the law into one’s own hands.”

Kamal, who is the executive director of legal aid organisation Ain O Salish Kendra, suspected the MP had a hand in the incident and provided the instigation.

She also urged the law minister and the education minister to take action without skirting the issue.

‘Nijera Kori’ (We Do It Ourselves) Executive Director Khushi Kabir was equally indignant. “What kind of a country do we belong to? Those who teach our children and who have taught us are being punished on the basis of rumours without any investigation,” she said.

“An MP is a people’s representative. We don’t want to see such a person (Salim) as the people’s representative. We reject him,” Kabir said.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, son of a schoolteacher himself, broke down in tears as he addressed the gathering. “My father was a schoolteacher. I was reminded of my father when I heard of teacher Shyamal Kanti Bhakta’s humiliation.”

The lawyer said the fact that killings, rape, and communal attacks were going unpunished in the country was a ‘national disgrace’.

Prof Gitiara Nasreen of Dhaka University’s department of mass communication and journalism said, “We are being humiliated despite having done no wrong.”

The protesters demanded punishment for Salim Osman and his henchmen and the withdrawal of the dismissal letter issued to Bhakta.

They also announced a programme at Shahbagh for Saturday in which Salim’s effigy would be burnt.

Dhaka University journalism department teacher Fahmidul Haq, General Secretary of the National Freedom Council Faizul Hakim, Udichi Organisation Secretary Jamshed Anwar Tapan, Ganasanghati Movement leader Firoz Ahmed, garments workers’ leader  Sahidul Islam Sobuj, Artist Kafil Ahmed, and Chhatra Union President Lucky Akter also spoke on the occasion.