Forcible and undignified resignations of the heads of different educational institutions, from schools to universities, are continuing across the country defying the interim government鈥檚 directives.
The situation has led to serious disruptions to the academic and administrative activities in the affected institutions.聽
On Monday, a section of protesting students locked the main entrance of Bangladesh Open University in Gazipur, demanding resignation of senior officials including the treasurer and deans.
Same day in the capital, Tejgaon Mohila College principal was taken to hospital after falling sick when the students confined him in his office in the college compound for nearly five hours.
Teachers and administrative officials alleged that some teachers, officers, employees and local people were instigating students to cause the disruption.
Following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, many vice-chancellors of public universities stepped down simultaneously in an unprecedented scenario.
They resigned from their positions amid the allegations of heavy politicisation of the universities especially in the past 15 years of the Awami League-led regime.
Pro vice-chancellors, registrars, treasurers, proctors, deans, provosts, syndicate members, wardens and house tutors in many universities followed suit, while at some universities as many as 70 or more officials resigned at one go under duress.
The head teachers and principals of different schools and colleges have also been forced to resign across the country.
Against the backdrop, education adviser to the interim government Wahiduddin Mahmud stated in an education ministry press release on August 25 that no聽 one could be forced to resign from any posts in any educational institutions and no one could be subjected to personal humiliation.
Teachers, officers and employees in the public educational institutions got posts and promotions as per rules, he said, asserting that there was no scope for forcing them to resign.
The scenario on the ground, however, has hardly changed.
A section of the Bangladesh Open University students on Monday locked its main entrance and other offices, demanding resignation of treasurer professor Mostafa Azad Kamal and all the deans.
The university鈥檚 vice-chancellor and two pro vice-chancellors already resigned following the protest.
Professor Mostafa Azad alleged that on Sunday these students forced him all day to resign and later threatened to raid his house to force him to step down.
鈥業 informed the police but did not resign,鈥� he continued, adding, 鈥榯hese students were instigated and backed by some opportunist teachers, who themselves want these posts.鈥櫬�
He also alleged that without informing him the university鈥檚 school of business dean professor Md Mayenul Islam took the responsibilities to carry out the administrative and finance related tasks of the university.
Professor Mayenul Islam said that the students had also demanded resignation of all six deans while three already resigned.
He confirmed that the students locked the main entrance of the university on Monday.
Professor Mayenul said that he had assumed the responsibilities to carry out the administrative and finance related tasks as he was the senior most dean and the treasurer was not present at work.
鈥榃e informed the ministry about the situation,鈥� he added.
Some Open University officials alleged that a section of officials and employees of the institution also locked most of the offices, including those of the information and public relation division, medical section and transport units, on its Gazipur campus and also at its Dhaka regional centre office after August 5, preventing the officials of these offices to continue work.聽
Education ministry additional secretary Khaleda Akhter told 抖阴精品 same day that she had no knowledge about the locking of the university鈥檚 main entrance, adding that she would look into the matter.
Tejgaon Mohila College principal Md Nazrul Islam said that on Monday around 20 students confined him inside his office between 10:00am and 3:00pm, demanding his resignation, bringing allegations, among others, that the college charged high tuition fees and gave poor quality services.
鈥業 am a diabetic patient and at one point I fell ill,鈥� he said, adding that some army personnel came later and calmed the situation.
He also alleged that some opportunist teachers instigated the students.
Similar situation arose in Naogaon sadar upazila on August 28 when a college principal fell sick.
On that day, Naogaon Hapania High School and College principal Nurul Islam fainted after a section of students and some outsiders physically assaulted him and forced him to sign a resignation letter, bringing allegations against him of irregularities in appointing teachers and employees.
Confirming the incident, Naogaon sadar upazila secondary education officer Md Wasiur Rahman said on Monday that the teacher was currently admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka.
The officer also mentioned that last week head teacher of Kirtipur High School in sadar upazila Md Azahar Ali was also forced to resign.
Protesting at such forced resignations, the Kishoreganj upazila secondary teachers association called strike in 75 educational institutions from Sunday, but later they cancelled the programme, confirmed association president Golam Azam.
The Bangladesh College Teachers Association, meanwhile on Saturday, expressed concern over the harassment and forced resignation of the teachers.
Association general secretary Md Foyez Hossain said that they were getting the information of these incidents daily from across the country in defiance of the government order.
Out of 56 public universities, vice-chancellors of 29 universities resigned till August 28.
Principals of colleges, including Dhaka College and Rajshahi College, have also applied for transfer surrendering to the demands from the students.
