University Teachers' Network demands unconditional release of Hriday Mandal

Seventy-two members of the University Teachers' Network have demanded unconditional release of Hriday Chandra Mandal, the Munshiganj school teacher who is now behind bars in a case filed over demeaning religion.

"On behalf of the University Teachers' Network, we demand the government to immediately release Hriday Mandal unconditionally and apologise for this harassment," the teachers' network said in a statement.

They also demanded legal action against those who created this situation.

On March 20, Hriday, assistant teacher of Binodpur Ram Kumar High School in Munshiganj, was having a conversation with students about the difference between science and religion.

Later in the afternoon, a group of students filed a written complaint with the headteacher, alleging that Hriday made derogatory comments on Islam.

In a statement on April 7, University Teachers' Network said, "The incident has shocked us and we are worried about the future of the education system in Bangladesh."

"We read the written form of that conversation in the classroom, and we consider it to be a normal debate. There was no attempt of demeaning religion from the teacher's side, rather an explanation to the students in an academic manner was evident in it," said the statement.

Hriday Mandal is a "dedicated" person to practice science, the university teachers said, adding, "Where such a great teacher needs to be respected, the state confined him in jail.".

"We want to make it clear that the country needs a teacher like Hriday Chandra Mandal more today. As teachers and citizens, we think that the teacher's job is to help students expand their world of thought, inculcate in them the curiosity to know, instil the courage to ask questions and make inquisitive minds. That's what he tried. If there are differences in opinions, there will be arguments, and the world of knowledge will be expanded through arguments and counter-arguments," it also said.

Anu Muhammad of Jahanirnagar University; Khorshed Alam, Geeti Ara Nasreen and Kaberi Gayen, Kamrul Hasan Mamun of Dhaka University; Arafat Rahman of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University and Mim Arafat of Brac University were among the 72 teachers, who signed the statement.