Hindu Teachers in Bangladesh Forced to Resign Amid Rising Intolerance: Reports

Dhaka: Hindu teachers in Bangladesh are increasingly facing coercion to resign from their government positions, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Reports indicate that at least 50 Hindu teachers have been forced out of their jobs, with the actual number potentially much higher.

One of the most notable cases involves Shukla Rani Halder, principal of Bakerganj Government College in Barishal. On August 29, a mob of students and outsiders stormed her office, demanding her resignation. After hours of intimidation, she eventually had to resign by writing “I resign” on a blank piece of paper.

Similarly, on August 18, about 50 students of Azimpur Government Girls’ School and College pressured principal Geetanjali Barua and two other educators, assistant head teacher Gautam Chandra Paul and physical education teacher Shahnaza Akhter, to step down. Barua described the incident as unprecedented, stating that the students had never sought her resignation before that day.

These incidents are not isolated, with social media flooded with visuals of teachers and administrators being forced to sign resignation letters under duress. The situation has created a climate of fear and helplessness among Hindu educators across the country.

The Bangladesh Chhatra Oikya Parishad, affiliated with the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, condemned these actions during a recent press conference, addressing the rising intolerance faced by the Hindu community.

Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen slammed the military-backed Muhammad Yunus government for failing to protect minorities amid escalating violence and unrest. She highlighted the silence of Yunus in the face of these injustices in a recent tweet.

In Bangladesh,teachers are forced to resign.Journos, ministers,officials of the former govt are getting killed, harassed,imprisoned. GenZ burned down industries of Ahmadi Muslims.Mazars & dargahs of Sufi Muslims are demolished by Islamic terrorists. Yunus says nothing against it.

— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) September 1, 2024