Over a year ago, so-called ‘student protest’ rocked Bangladesh and it led to the Sheikh Hasina government getting ousted. ‘Nobel Prize’ winner Muhammad Yunus was parachuted as its “chief adviser” in a few days’ time.
Now, a decision by the Yunus ‘government’ to cancel the recruitment of music and physical education teachers in primary schools has triggered nationwide protests across Bangladesh’s major universities, with students and faculty framing the move as an attack on cultural identity rather than an administrative reform.
The Muhammad Yunus–led interim government shelved the hiring plan citing “administrative and financial feasibility.” However, demonstrators argue the decision reflects pressure from Islamist groups that labelled music and physical training “un-Islamic.”
At Dhaka University, hundreds gathered near the Oporajeyo Bangla statue, singing patriotic songs associated with the 1971 Liberation War. Similar demonstrations were held at Chittagong, Rajshahi and Jagannath universities, with students demanding that the government reinstate the teaching posts. Participants said the subjects were crucial to safeguarding Bangladesh’s cultural heritage.
Faculty members echoed these concerns. Dhaka University theatre professor Israfil Shahin told students that culture was central to national identity and warned that removing it from education would create a “hollow” system. Music instructors who joined the demonstrations described the arts as foundational to social and civilisational development.
Groups including Hefazat-e-Islam and Islami Andolon Bangladesh, both of which supported the interim government during its early consolidation of power had previously urged the administration to prioritise religious teachers over music and PT instructors. Critics say the government’s decision reflects a wider trend of yielding to hardline clerical demands.
Artists, student leaders and education sector observers contend that the move signals a shift away from the country’s secular cultural traditions. Singer and activist Shayan, who joined protests at Jagannath University, said the issue went beyond staffing decisions and was tied to questions of national identity. Political analysts have also expressed concern that the policy aligns with attempts to redefine public education along conservative religious lines.
Protesters say the demonstrations will continue until the government reverses its decision, warning that cultural education is essential to the country’s social fabric. They argue that the removal of music and physical training from the curriculum undermines the values that shaped Bangladesh’s formation.
(Source: India Today)
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