Shortly after Bangladesh’s former chief justice Obaidul Hasan resigned in the face of student protests on Saturday, the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University vice-chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal stepped down citing ‘personal reasons’.
Kamal, who had assumed the role of the vice-chancellor last year, told Prothom Alo that he sent his resignation to the interim government.
Following Kamal’s resignation, seven hall provosts also stepped down. Kamal served as the convener of Blue Panel, an Awami League-backed teacher organisation at Dhaka University earlier.
Earlier Obaidul Hasan resigned from the role of Bangladesh chief justice after student protesters demanded his resignation in response to the full court meeting he called and later cancelled on Saturday morning and also accused him of backing the ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Hindus In Sherpur Live In Fear, Protest Rallies In Dhaka, Major Cities
Members of the Hindu Bengali community have taken out protest rallies in Dhaka, Shariatpur and many other towns to protest against the attacks on members of Hindu and other minority groups.
Some businesses and homes owned by Hindus were attacked following Hasina’s ousting, and the group is seen by some radical Islamist groups in Muslim-majority Bangladesh as having been close to her. Hasina’s Awami League’s rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is also seen as inimical towards Hindus, Buddhists, tribal communities and other minority groups in Bangladesh.
Hindu Bengali protesters in capital Dhaka chanted slogans like ‘Who are you, who am I, Bengali Bengali’ and ‘Who are you, who am I, Hindu, Hindu’ and blocked traffic flow at Shahbag Square. According to Prothom Alo, several like-minded and civil society activists also joined the mass protests.
The Dhaka University teachers association also expressed solidarity in the protest rally, the report said.
A separate report by the outlet said that in the city of Sherpur, members of the Hindu community have set up night watch groups to guard Hindu businesses. Hindu areas like North Saha Para, South Saha Para, Sanyal Para, Jagannath Para, Srirampur Para, Basak Para, Ghosh Para, Datta Para, Gosai Para, Pal Para and Vrindavan Para have set up night watch groups to protect Hindu businesses and prevent looting and arson.
“We’ve to keep watch till dawn every day to save our wealth and honour,” Pradeep Saha (67), a jeweller from Sherpur, was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo.
Human chain was formed by members of the Hindu Bengali community Shariatpur to protest the attacks, vandalism, arson, land grabbing, torture and temple vandalism in different parts of the country. The protest was organised by Bangladesh National Hindu Mohajot.
“We are shocked to see how Hindus are being attacked, tortured, and temples vandalised. We don’t want to cry anymore. Please ensure our safety. We are also citizens of this country,” Hemant Das, joint secretary general of the Central Committee of Bangladesh National Hindu Mohajot told the news outlet, highlighting that Shariatpur’s Manasabari Temple was also vandalised.
Mundas, Santhalis, Oraon Express Fear
Adivasi community leaders from Munda, Santhal and Oraon communities told Bangladeshi news outlet Prothom Alo that they live in fear as homes and businesses of some members of the community were attacked and looted in the aftermath of the protests.
Homes of Santhal, Oraon and Munda communities were attacked in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Naogaon and Dinajpur. “I am hiding with my family for fear of life. We are having sleepless nights and several tribal communities are living in an atmosphere of fear,” Naren Pahan, general secretary of the central committee of the Bangladesh National Tribal Council, the largest organisation of small ethnic groups in the plains, told Prothom Alo.
“There were attacks on tribal households in different parts of the district along with looting and vandalism. It seems like the country is not mine,” Pahan further added.