Professional Human Rights Council calls for end to suspension, harassment of university teachers

The Professional Human Rights Council has protested the decision to temporarily suspend three teachers of Dhaka University and form a tribunal against them.

In a statement the organization's convener Dr Jamal Uddin Chowdhury and member secretary Agriculturist Mizanur Rahman said they are ‘deeply concerned, angry and distressed’ over the temporary suspension of and formation of a tribunal against Dr M Ahiduzzaman, professor of the Institute of Education and Research of Dhaka University and president of Bangladesh Public Progressive Teachers Society and co-convener of the Professional Human Rights Council; Dr Md Mashiur Rahman, professor of the Department of Sociology; and Dr Mahbubur Rahman Litu, professor of the Institute of Education and Research, on the allegation of taking a stance against the July movement on Wednesday (September 2).

In the statement the organization called upon the concerned authorities to refrain from forming investigation committees and taking punitive measures against university teachers on political considerations and thereby disrupting the education environment.

The leaders said in the statement that various examples of human rights violations are being set centering the events of July-August 2024 in Bangladesh. As its expansion has reached educational institutions including universities, it has become difficult to maintain the standard of the country’s education system, let alone enhance its excellence. Attempts are being made to silence opposing views on political considerations with false pretexts, which is truly alarming.

From primary schools to high schools, colleges and even universities, teachers have been physically assaulted or mentally humiliated by encouraging the creation of mobs through students. Teachers have been dismissed from jobs and demoted on various pretexts, and in some cases it has even provided provocation for suicide. Widespread unrest was created in educational institutions after August 5, 2024, behind which many believe there was patronage of the then interim government.

After the national parliamentary election on February 12, 2026, the people’s expectation from the government that came to power was that the government would improve the law and order situation in the interest of stability in the country and restrain the administration from destroying the education environment in educational institutions by creating various pretexts against teachers with anti-government attitudes. It is a matter of deep regret that widespread frustration is being observed among the people on these issues.

The leaders further said that recently investigation committees have been formed and temporary suspensions carried out by creating various pretexts with the aim of dismissing senior, experienced and renowned professors in various universities of the country including Dhaka University, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh Islamic University, Kushtia, which has created fear among teachers. Such controversial steps will indirectly severely hamper the education environment. According to the university ordinance, teachers have the right to free thinking, political opinion practice and moving about with an independent attitude. If examples of seizing their recognised fundamental rights are set, the possibility of their application in the future is also created, which can further embitter the existing division in society. Recently, former vice-chancellor of Jagannath University and experienced senior teacher of the Department of Sociology of Dhaka University Professor Dr Sadeka Halim has been temporarily suspended. Besides, several teachers including Professor Dr Azmal Hossain Bhuiya of the Department of Botany of Dhaka University and joint-convener of the Professional Human Rights Council have been asked to refrain from university activities, which is being considered as a severe violation of human rights.

Earlier, 36 experienced teachers-physicians including Professor Dr Ahsan Habib Helal and Professor Dr Subas De of Bangladesh Medical University were unjustly dismissed without following rules and regulations. At Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh, many teachers and officials including Professor Dr Purba Islam, joint-secretary of Bangladesh Public University Progressive Teachers Society, have been dismissed on fabricated allegations. An investigation committee has been formed on fabricated allegations against Professor Dr Mahbubur Rahman, general secretary of Bangladesh Public University Progressive Teachers Society and professor of Islamic University, Kushtia.

The activities of all these investigation committees beyond rules and regulations are questioning the neutrality and transparency of the committees. Steps have been taken to dismiss many more teachers in a motivated manner.

The Professional Human Rights Council views all these repressive activities against teachers, physicians, agriculturists and various professionals as extremely inhumane. The Professional Human Rights Council makes an earnest appeal to the concerned authorities to immediately stop all these despicable steps and maintain a proper education environment by maintaining harmony in educational institutions.