Three Hindu educators at Shaheed Smriti Degree College in Bangladesh were forced to resign under pressure from Islamic fundamentalist students and the Bangladesh Army. Principal Durlvananda Barai, a Hindu minority, along with physics teacher Bimal Pandey and teacher Liton Dutta, was forced to vacate their positions amidst unrest in the country.
The shocking incident highlights the escalating challenges faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh ever since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5.
A video has surfaced on social media, showing the Hindu Principal of Shaheed Smriti Degree College signing papers in the presence of Army officers.
A large number of Hindu teachers have been compelled to leave their jobs since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. One of the most high-profile cases involved Shukla Rani Halder, the principal of Bakerganj Government College in Barishal. According to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, on August 29, a mob of students and outsiders stormed her office, demanding her resignation.
On August 18, around 50 students of Azimpur Government Girls' School and College cornered principal Geetanjali Barua and sought her resignation, along with those of assistant head teacher Gautam Chandra Paul and physical education teacher Shahnaza Akhter.
Bangladesh saw several incidents of violence against members of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government in August this year.
