Teacher in jail: Call for his release gets louder
Calls for freeing Hriday Chandra Mondal, the Munshiganj school teacher arrested in a case defaming Islam, are getting louder, with local and global rights organisations yesterday issuing statements demanding his release.
"It is outrageous that a teacher finds himself behind bars simply for voicing his opinion while teaching a class," said Amnesty International in a statement yesterday.
On March 20, Mondal, an assistant teacher of Binodpur Ram Kumar High School in Munshiganj, was having a conversation with students about the difference between science and religion, during which he is said to have made derogatory comments on Islam.
Two days later, he was arrested after the school's principal filed a case against him.
Teachers should be free to discuss ideas and opinions of all kinds without fear of reprisals, said the London-based non-governmental organisation.
The detention has set a dangerous precedent, it said, while calling upon the authorities to take urgent measures to improve the conditions that allow people to express themselves freely and safely.
Mondal's detention is "emblematic of a disturbing trend in Bangladesh where the space for free expression is rapidly shrinking" and "a shameful demonstration of the erosion of the human rights situation" in the country, Amnesty added.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) expressed deep concerns over the incident and went on to demand Mondal's immediate release ensuring his treatment, compensation for harassment and justice.
Mondal has the right to get bail as he has been sued under section 295 (A) of The Penal Code, 1860. If anyone commits crimes under the section, a two-year jail time or fine or both can be applied.
"Considering that ground, it can be said that it is a bailable offence," said the BLAST statement quoting its trustee member ZI Khan Panna, also a Supreme Court lawyer.
But his bail petition has been rejected twice.
Over in Shahbagh, a group of academicians, rights activists and social workers under the banner of "Nipironer biruddhe Shabagh" held a rally demanding Mondal's release.
"We want to take forward the country with the development of science and technology. We want to extend our greetings to teachers like Hriday Chandra Mondal who are discharging their duties properly," said Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, the renowned writer and academic while addressing the rally.
He demanded unconditional release of Mondal and withdrawal of the case against him.
"An evil force is trying to take back the country by misinterpreting the religion -- we must resist the force to establish a secular Bangladesh," said the rights activist Khushi Khabir.