Attempts being made to thwart heroism of students-people: professor Salimullah

Eminent writer, academic and public intellectual professor Salimullah Khan has said that hectic attempts are being made to thwart the heroism of the students and people in the July-August mass uprising.

Remembering bravery of students in the July-August uprising, he said, “The courage that the youth has shown and the way people stood behind them in unity- is our capital. It must be upheld. But, hundreds of attempts are being made to destroy it.”

Professor Salimullah said this as the main speaker in a seminar titled 'Education Reform Dialogue' held at the Shilpokola Academy Auditorium in the city on Saturday evening.

The seminar was jointly organised by ‘Rastralap Pathchakro’, ‘Bigyanchetna Parishad’ and the ‘State Reform Movement’ aimed at rebuilding Bangladesh according to the aspirations of the July-August Mass Uprising.

Noted writer and organiser Nahid Hasan Knowledge presided over the seminar moderated by ombudsman of the National Executive Committee of State Reform Movement advocate Raihan Kabir.

Chairman of Eco Social Development Organisation (ESDO) Dr Md Shahid Uz Zaman, State Reform Movement Rangpur district committee coordinator professor Chinu Kabir, Prime Medical College Hospital associate professor Md Ferdous Rahman Polash and poet come teacher Ahmed Maudud spoke in the seminar.

Professor Salimullah Khan said, a Bangladesh based on equality, human dignity and justice could not be built even in 53 years of independence.

“Now if these three demands are to be implemented in real sense, the first application will be the reform of education and health system,” he said. He said health, education, and food are inextricably linked.

“If a child does not eat for two days, then that child's education is not complete. If education is to be made universal, the medium of education should be the mother tongue of each,” he said.

He suggested that education should be taken on the principle of expansion, not contraction. The money that requires investment for this is possible.

Professor Khan mentioned that the education system is not complete by producing only doctors and engineers in the name of career-oriented education.

He said, 'We have to create humane citizens when making a citizen means being aware of his rights and duties. If this were true, then we would not have been forced to live under a dictatorial, undemocratic and fascist regime for 15 years.”

Professor Salimullah alleged that science, humanities and business education were forced on the students in class nine. A student should have the freedom to choose a profession or not, to study or not to study.

Nahid Hasan said that the constitution, judiciary, central and local government structures should be reformed to implement the sacrifices made by the Shahid Abu Sayeed in the July-August mass uprising.

While presenting the concept paper of education reform dialogue in the seminar, Lipi Debgupta said that the state is discriminating against poor children in many ways.

She highlighted various inconsistencies including reading in primary schools and teacher pay disparity.