Bangladesh: 49 minority teachers forced to resign

Dhaka, Sep 1
In the weeks following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, at least 49 teachers from minority communities were forced to resign, according to local media reports.

The Bangladesh Chhatra Oikya Parishad, the student wing of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, disclosed this information during a press conference held at the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday, as reported by The Daily Star.

Sajib Sarkar, the coordinator of the organisation, stated that since the fall of the Hasina-led government, religious and ethnic minorities have been subjected to a wave of violence.

This has included attacks, looting, assaults on women, the vandalism of temples, arson attacks on homes and businesses, and even killings, he said.

Sarkar further revealed that minority teachers across the country have faced physical assaults, leading to the forced resignation of at least 49 teachers by August 30. However, 19 of those teachers have since been reinstated, he added.

Sheikh Hasina's government was forced to step down last month after violent student-led anti-quota protests resulted in the deaths of over 400 people.

Last month, while Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government in Bangladesh, after taking the oath, said that he would "uphold, support and protect the constitution and will perform duties sincerely", there was a massive outbreak of violence in the country after Hasina left Dhaka with goons creating huge unrest and targetting Hindus, their homes and places of worship.

The Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajot (BJHM), a grand national alliance of 23 religious organisations in the country, said that Hindu families have faced violence and vandalism at as many as 278 locations across 48 districts of the nation since August 5.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reiterated India's support for Bangladesh's stability and development. He said, "In the coming days, we will always wish well for Bangladesh's 'Vikas Yatra' (journey of development) because we are the well-wishers of humankind."