Stop move to demolish school buildings or face tougher movement

Professor Abul Mansur of Chittagong University Fine Arts Department addressing a rally on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar in the port city yesterday protesting Chittagong City Corporation's move to demolish buildings of Aparna Charan and Krishnakumari girls high schools. Photo: STAR

Speakers at a rally in the port city yesterday warned of forging greater movement if Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) fails to give clear announcement of stopping its move to demolish buildings of two renowned schools in the city immediately.
They thanked the prime minister for giving direction to the education minister to stop the CCC move but expressed resentment over the stubborn attitude of Chittagong Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury regarding construction of a high-rise commercial building demolishing the school buildings.
They also criticised the mayor for his indecent comment on the on-going protest movement.
Despite the prime minister's instruction to stop the CCC move on Sunday, the CCC authorities yesterday published in two local Bangla dailies an advertisement containing the mayor's statement expressing determination to erect the commercial building.
Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (SCF) Chittagong city unit organised the solidarity rally yesterday afternoon in front of the Central Shaheed Minar with its President Saifuzzaman Shakon in the chair.
Statements of veteran revolutionary Binod Bihari Chowdhury and women leader Begum Mushtari Shafi were read at the rally as they could not attend due to their illness.
“Plan of erecting commercial building demolishing schools is not only an illogical move but also antagonistic to the basic spirit of education. The mayor has to realise the feelings of the people who voted him to the post thrice,” Binod Bihari said.
As a service providing organisation, the CCC has no right to snatch the rights of education through damaging academic environment of two renowned schools, said poet and journalist Arun Das Gupta.
“It is our duty to save every historic site in order to protect our heritage from glorious past. It is impractical to house two schools in a commercial building as education and business require different environment,” he said.
Prof Abul Mansur of Chittagong University (CU) Fine Arts Department said the CCC move was nothing but an attempt to destroy the two renowned schools.
A number of eminent persons, educationists, teachers, engineers, journalists and leaders of different political and cultural organisations participated at the rally.
CU Social Science Department Professor Dr Imam Ali, Forum for Planned Chittagong leaders architect Zarina Hossain, engineer Subhash Barua, Professor Syeda Tahera of CU Economics department, Associate Professor Hossain Kabir of CU Public Administration department, Associate Professor Aloptagin Tushar of CU Fine Arts department, Chairman of CU Communication and Journalism department Mir Mossharraf Hossain Rajib, Proma Abritty Sangathon President Rashed Hasan, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal leader Manas Nandi and Biplobi Workers Party leader Nasiruddin Nashu spoke, among others.