DU white panel teachers demand caretaker government

The BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed White Panel teachers in Dhaka University on Monday demanded the next parliamentary election under a non-partisan and neutral caretaker government.

Some 50 teachers put forward the demand at a human chain demonstration at the altar of Oporajeyo Bangla in the university.

At that time, the BNP-Jamaat-backed teachers led by its convener Professor Md Lutfor Rahman also protested the spiralling prices of daily commodities, and suppression of leaders and activists of the opposition political party, by lodging cases and attacking their programmes.

On the other hand, a section of students took position and staged a showdown around the human chain formed by the BNP-backed white panel teachers.

Condemning the incident, protesting teachers, who joined the human chain, said the students are the activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

White panel convener Lutfor Rahman said "Bangladesh now is passing through a perilous transitional period. As conscious teachers of Dhaka University, we have gathered here to press home a demand- election under a caretaker government."

He said, "Besides, we strongly protest against the government's repression against its opposition party. The government has been persecuting its opposition for a long time."

"BCL activists, impersonating them as general students, took position and staged a showdown around us to obstruct our democratic programme," he said.

Siddikur Rahman Khan, the joint convener of the White Panel teachers, said the situation that has arisen in Bangladesh is unprecedented. The public is now living a distressed life due to unbearable load shedding. We can't even protest it."

"The government is creating various mental pressures on us who protest the government's oppressive actions."

He also blamed the government for pushing Bangladesh to the same level as Uganda-Nigeria through America's visa policy. 

Professor Shahidul Islam Zahid, convenor of the Commerce Faculty unit of White Panel teachers, said, "The new visa policy announced by The United States on 24 May is both shameful and positive as we have a deep relationship with the US in trade, knowledge, and science."

"Through the context in which US visa policy is issued, we demand national elections under a non-partisan and neutral caretaker government," he added.

White panel former convener Professor Akhter Hossain Khan, Professor Mamun Ahmed, Professor Abul Kalam Sarker, Professor Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, and associate professor MA Kawser were also present at the event.