What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
© Vladimir Adityanath
1. Prelude
After the fall of the coalition-government headed by Sheikh Hasina on 05.08.2024, Islamists have been systematically targeting Hindus educators in renowned schools and colleges across Bangladesh, attempting to remove them from their designations. With the covert and occasionally overt backing of political parties and Islamist organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Hefajot-e-Islam, muslim extremists are orchestrating “protests” demanding the resignation of Hindu educationists. Fabricated grievances and misinformation are being used to mobilise crowds with criminals and party goons forming a significant portion of the protestors.
At least 60 Hindu educators were forced to resign between 05.08.2024 and 01.09.2024 [1] [2] [3]. Over 100 Hindu public servants have either been forced to resign or dismissed from their jobs by the unelected interim government of Bangladesh [4]. Islamists and the unelected interim government of Bangladesh are pursuing a policy of removing Hindus from the educational and public sectors. This would allow Islamists to radicalise young muslim students and target impressionable Hindu students for conversion. If Hindus have minimal presentation at the State level, it would make the pursuit of justice for victims a near-impossible for victims. Aggressors would find it extremely easy to convince an Islamised administration to turn a blind eye towards the atrocities on the remaining 1.3 crore (13 million) Hindu population of Bangladesh. KantiLal Acharya, the former Acting Headmaster of the Bhatiari Haji Tobarak Ali High School is the latest victim of this purge.
2. The orchestrated protests and demands for resignation
In late 2019, Hindu educator Liton Das was forced to resign from his post in the same educational institution on highly suspicious charges lacking any evidence. Bhabana Acharya, the daughter of KantiLal Acharya, recall that he was framed by local Islamists [5]. KantiLal Acharya had an excellent teaching career spanning over 35 years and is well respected by the students he taught.
Allegations of misconduct and being biased were labelled against KantiLal Acharya Ji on 15.04.2025, claiming that he had violated the due process for appointing the President of an ad-hoc committee responsible for running the school. The educational guidelines followed by the school say that the acting principal has no role in the appointment of the President of the school administration committee. There is no evidence of KantiLal Ji violating the guidelines and overstepping his authority either.
Other teachers of the school and eyewitnesses claim that local B.N.P. leaders and activists had a grudge against the appointed President Mahiuddin Ahmed, Acting Headmaster KantiLal Acharya, Senior Teachers Harun-Al-Rashid and Zafar Ahmed. KantiLal Ji was forbidden from going to school and resuming his duties by some of his fellow teachers and authorities, who warned that he could be humiliated. With Mahiuddin Ahmed being a member of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hindumisia (hatred for Hindus) can be the only possible explanation of why the life and dignity of only the Hindu professor was under threat.
His daughter Bhabana Acharya says that KantiLal Ji had refused to bow down under pressure, saying that that he is innocent and the allegations on him are baseless. Asking why should he escape like a corrupt person, he had demanded evidence of the allegations labelled against him [6].
A mob of 139 people, consisting of only 6-7 students who were members of the student wing of B.N.P. and Islamists having no association with the High-School blasted crude petrol bombs inside the school premises on 16.04.2025. They demanded the resignation of only Hindu KantiLal Ji, referring to the senior teacher as a Dedaiya Halarfoya (a vulgar religious slur against Hindus in the local dialect of Chattagram commonly used by Islamists). The so-called protestors had attempted to force KantiLal Ji to sign a prepared resignation letter which stated that he had committed malpractice and was resigning out of his own free will. In spite of being harassed and manhandled the aged Professor had remained undaunted. After hours of harassment and he was forced to sign another resignation letter stating that he was resigning for “personal reasons”. The Islamists had even attempted to physically attack him and had cracked the skull of one of the close associates of Mahiuddin Ahmed, who was standing next to Kanti Lal Ji.
Bhatiari Union B.N.P. President Nurul Anwar had claimed that KantiLal Ji was forced to resign under the pressure of an agitated public. He says that “extensive charges of corruption” have been raised against him. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Fakhrul Islam gave a statement to Prothom Alo saying that he is leading a probe committee comprising of the advisory members of the Chattagram Secondary and Intermediate education in this regard [7].
Most of the students who were taught by KantiLal Ji were extremely supportive of him and claimed that all the allegations against him were baseless. Ironically none of the three muslims accused alongside him were forced to resign.
References :
[1] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/world/2024/Aug/21/the-new-normal-journalists-detained-hindu-teachers-forced-to-resign-in-bangladesh
[2] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indiatoday.in/amp/world/story/hindu-teachers-principals-forced-resignation-bangladesh-viral-videos-taslima-nasreen-2591679-2024-09-01
[3] https://www.google.com/amp/s/organiser.org/2024/08/21/252776/world/asia/islamisation-of-educational-institution-in-bangladesh-islamists-force-100s-of-hindu-teachers-professionals-to-resign/amp/
[4] Reports compiled by local Hindu organisations
[5] Victim testimony of Bhabana Acharya
[6] https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17nBctgddE/
[7] https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/j6f0z672ld
