THE main grievance of student protesters against the Awami League that led to its downfall was direct and indirect recruitment and appointment in ranking positions in public services and educational institutions on partisan considerations, which became the norm. In majority of cases, especially in public universities, vice-chancellors and others in administrative positions were uncritically loyal to the authoritarian Awami League regime. Their silence and complicity were reprehensible during the state violence in July鈥揂ugust that left about 1,000 people dead. In what follows, students demanded that principals, vice-chancellors or others in similar positions should resign. Their demand is not unjustified, but the way students with the involvement of other quarters approach the issue is disconcerting. Since August 5, at least 150 teachers were forced to resign. Many were humiliated and harassed by the unruly students to the extent that a principal of a college in Nogaon suffered a stroke and is still in hospital. The issue of ideological complicity to the violently autocratic regime is legitimate and needs be addressed, but forced removal and retaliatory act of humiliation are not the way. And, the interim government has a decisive role to play in this regard.
A number of teachers鈥� associations have already raised concern about this forced removal of teachers in the administration of educational institutions. The Bangladesh University Teachers鈥� Association and the University Teachers鈥� Network have condemned such acts and demanded that the government should take effective steps to attend to student and public grievances against teachers allegedly recruited on partisan considerations and have been involved in corruption. The Secondary and Higher Education Division recently issued an order, asking the deputy commissioners to see that a conducive environment is maintained in educational institutions. On August 25, the education adviser acknowledged that forcing individuals to resign could lead to the collapse of the administrative system and legitimate complaints against individuals will be addressed but provided no direction through what grievance mechanism that students or any other parties can use to file their complaints. Similar situations prevail in other sectors. Many directors general or in similar positions in public offices in fear of retaliatory violence and harassment resigned in August. Such coerced resignation and removal without due process not only risk the prospect of credible investigation of the allegations but also fail to make a departure from the notorious legacy of the Awami League regime largely defined by coercion and sycophancy.
The interim government, therefore, must immediately set up a grievance mechanism through which students and others could record their complaints of corruption or other allegations. The grievance mechanism should also include time-bound procedural details about the way a complaint will be resolved. The government, especially student leaders who have become advisers to the interim government, should also campaign against such retaliatory act of harassment and coercion and communicate with students who are part of the Students against Discrimination that violence is not the way forward.