Teachers' release to help bring normalcy to campuses

Release of the detained teachers of Dhaka University and Rajshahi University will be helpful in bringing back normalcy to the campuses, eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said yesterday.
"If the teachers are released, the atmosphere on the campuses would be conducive to the reopening of the universities and normalcy would prevail there," Dr Kamal was quoted as saying by Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, head of the one-member commission tasked with probing the campus violence in August.
The two had a discussion at Justice Habib's Circuit House office yesterday about the charges brought against the teachers of the two universities for instigating violence on the campuses.
Kamal also suggested that the probe commission make some recommendations on politics of university students and teachers, Justice Habib told reporters.
Eminent citizens and a good number of teachers, who met him earlier, also urged him to make recommendations on the matter, he added.
On the recent campus violence, he said, "Initially, the incident was accidental and the movement spontaneous. Then it gained another dimension."
Asked if there was political influence on the student movement, Habib said, "The influence was not totally political, but a motivated circle in its own interest was involved in it."
Regarding participation or involvement of student leaders in the movement, he said, "Student leaders did not participate in the movement, but it cannot be said they did not act behind the scenes."
On the 29th working day of the commission yesterday, two more persons came to it to give their testimony.
The commission has so far received testimony or suggestions from 101 persons.
The probe commission is supposed to submit its report by October 22, but Justice Habib said it may be delayed "due to compilation of the report".