Bangladesh interim govt faces backlash over Hindu teachers' forced resignations; Yunus vows 'interfaith harmony'

The fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government has triggered numerous violent incidents against members of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian communities. (Image: PTI)

Bangladesh’s interim government is under fire after reports revealed that dozens of teachers from the Hindu community were forced to resign following the recent political unrest that culminated in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina last month.

According to Daily Star, at least 49 minority teachers across the country were compelled to step down during a student-led uprising on August 5. Among them was Prof. Shukla Rani Halder, a former English teacher at Government Brajmohan College in Barisal.

One of the most high-profile incidents in the recent unrest involved Shukla Rani Halder, the principal of Bakerganj Government College in Barishal. On August 29, a mob of students and outsiders stormed her office, demanding her resignation, according to the Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo.

After hours of intimidation, she was left with no choice but to comply with the mob's demands. Under duress, she wrote "I resign" on a blank piece of paper.

Sajib Sarkar, the coordinator of the organization, reported that following Hasina's ouster, minority teachers across Bangladesh were subjected to physical assaults, with at least 49 forced to resign amidst days of student-led violence. While 19 of these teachers were later reinstated, the unrest also led to widespread attacks on religious and ethnic minorities.

According to Sarkar, these groups faced looting, assaults on women, vandalism of temples, arson attacks on homes and businesses, and even killings. The fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government has triggered numerous violent incidents against members of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian communities.

Also read: How Bangladesh's political turmoil is impacting India's textile industry

“Within less than a month by setting the never seen before predicament of a wholesale purge of teachers from #minority communities in #education institutions, the mob leaders have marked the institutionalisation of intolerance among students, a shot in the arm for toxic narratives,” Hasina’s Awami League said in a post on X on August 31.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, who currently leads Bangladesh's interim government as Chief Advisor, met with Hindu community leaders at a reception he hosted last week. Yunus vowed to promote interfaith harmony, highlighting his vision of a Bangladesh where everyone can practice their faith freely, without fear, and where temples no longer require protection. However, recent data compiled by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad reveal that minority communities have faced at least 205 incidents of attacks across 52 districts since the fall of the Hasina-led government.

Yunus to propose comprehensive reform framework 

Yunus is expected to soon present a comprehensive reform framework, including guidelines on the transition of power, after consulting with all political parties, according to his special assistant, Mahfuj Alam. Yunus held a series of meetings on August 31 with representatives from 35 political parties at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka. During these discussions, Yunus exchanged views on potential reforms to be implemented by the interim government. Mahfuj Alam noted that the political leaders provided numerous reform proposals, and Yunus will soon outline the reforms based on these consultations.

Also read: After Sheikh Hasina's exit, Bangladesh directs attention to a pressing issue

The unrest, which began last month as a student-led protest against public sector job quotas, escalated into the deadliest violence since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. The chaos resulted in over 1,000 deaths and forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. An interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, took over from Hasina’s administration and helped quell the violence, with security forces also cracking down on the protests.

(with inputs from agencies)