While addressing at a press conference organised at the Dhaka University Teachers' Club on Saturday, the University Teachers' network coupled with Bangladeshi academics at home and abroad raised a serious concern over a range of contemporary issues. In particular, the speakers and participants high-lighted on the topic of alarming incidence of attaching hate-tags, such as calling and branding individuals as 'Islamophobic' or 'anti-religious' while removing them from their public and professional spaces, and in the process creating unrest, conflicts and divisions in society.
However, the aforementioned conference under the title of "What kind of Bangladesh do we want in the spirit of the July uprising" has focused on a number of crucial issues which merits serious consideration and urgent addressing. For instance, addressing the demand for banning student-teacher politics in universities, a key speaker said If there is rule of law in the country, then student-teacher politics is not a problem.
We are in full agreement with the speaker. At the same time, we harshly condemn various intolerant, aggressive and chaotic gatherings across different parts of Bangladesh. Most of these gatherings are not only filled with hateful rhetoric against disliked groups and parties, but in some cases, they have also triggered physical attacks on people from those groups.
At least 3 people have reportedly been killed in organised violence at three separate universities. A military officer lost his life while trying to apprehend criminals. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts, people from different ethnic backgrounds have been brutally murdered. At least 50 shrines located across the country have been vandalised.
However, describing the government's policy on nationwide intolerance, hatred and hostile behaviour as "ambiguous," the Teachers' Network has issued an open letter to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.
The open letter clearly mentioned that - "During this critical time, it is an imperative for the current government to take an impartial stance and implement immediate actions.
Therefore, in order to curb intolerance blatantly displayed by overzealous groups, spreading hateful rhetoric and interfering with freedoms of different identities, communities, and the citizens' right to express themselves must be stopped. In addition, the government must issue a clear statement on how they intend to ensure an all-inclusive society and how their stance on inclusion will be clarified through their policies. It is necessary to outline the steps the government will take to protect the rights of people from different viewpoints or communities against organised violence erupting from intolerant gatherings."
The open letter is issued at a critical time when the country is passing through an uncertain time through a challenging transformation in restoring democracy in the country. Unless the dubious and devious groups of people unleashing hate and creating poisonous divisions across the country are not identified, stopped and reprimanded soon, we fear, spirit of the July Uprising may well be diverted towards a destructive and dangerous track.
We are drawing urgent attention of the chief adviser.
