NHRC criticizes police inaction over Narail teacher harassment

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Public Security Division to take action against the responsible police personnel upon investigation over their inaction in the incident of humiliation of a teacher in Narail.

The commission has also asked the division under the Ministry of Home Affairs to submit a report by 29 July. 

In a statement issued on Tuesday (28 June), the Human Rights Commission said the incident of putting a garland of shoes on a teacher of Hindu religion on allegation of blasphemy was undesirable in a country of communal harmony like Bangladesh. 

"This incident has tarnished the human dignity of a person. Moreover, it is not clear how such an unfortunate situation arose in the presence of the police," the statement voiced concern. 

The Khulna Divisional Commissioner has also been directed to send a report to the commission investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, people staged rallies in different parts of the country, including the capital, to protest the incident, criticising the inaction of the law enforcement agencies.. 

Teachers and students of Dhaka University held a rally in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture to protest the attack on a teacher in Narail and the killing of a teacher in Savar.

They demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in the assault and killing. 

The role of teachers' organisations, including the Dhaka University Teachers' Association, was criticised at that time.

Mihir Lal, a professor for Botany, questioned the role of teachers' organisations, saying that the Dhaka University Teachers' Association, which has always led the country, did not even make a statement on the issue of teacher harassment. 

All teachers' associations should protest against the harassment, he opined.

"I would like to request the Prime Minister to give exemplary punishment to those involved by expediting the trial of teacher harassment," remarked the professor. 

Swapan Kumar Biswas, acting principal at Mirzapur United College of Narail, was given a garland of shoes around his neck on 18 June after a tense situation centering a Facebook post on Nupur Sharma, spokesperson of India's ruling party BJP, by a student of the college. 

On top of this, another teacher of Haji Yunus Ali School and College in Savar Utpal Kumar Sarkar was seriously injured when a student hit him with a cricket stump on Saturday. 

He later died at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar on Monday morning.