2 teachers of University of Asia Pacific dismissed amid protests

Two teachers at the University of Asia Pacific (UAP) were dismissed last Sunday amid protests on campus.

Students involved in the protest, organised under the banner of ‘general students and alumni’, claimed that one of the teachers was Islamophobic, while the other was affiliated with the Awami League, whose activities are banned now.

The dismissed teachers are associate professor and head of the Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities ASM Mohsin, and assistant professor of the same department Layeka Bashir.

In response to the situation, the university authorities issued a notice on Monday, announcing that all classes would remain suspended until further instructions.

Sources within the university said that the controversy initially began with a Facebook post from Layeka Bashir, which prompted a section of students to express anger online.

After the semester break, on the first day of classes on Sunday, students staged a protest on campus. In the evening, the university authorities informed the students that the two teachers had been dismissed.

Assistant professor Layeka Bashir told Prothom Alo on Monday that she has heard she has been dismissed but has not received an official letter yet.

She said that she had posted a Facebook status on 10 December, highlighting the security risks associated with the hijab and niqab following the incident of a ‘double murder in Mohammadpur committed by domestic worker with a covered face’.

The teacher said that she did not post the status with any intention of hurting religious sentiments. She alleged that following the post, some former UAP students threatened her online and spread defamatory content against her.

Layeka Bashir said, “I was at the forefront of the July mass uprising, which is why I was not labelled an Awami League collaborator. Instead, I have been branded as Islamophobic. I have been treated unfairly.”

She added that on Monday she sent a letter titled ‘Right-wing students’ mob violence at the University of Asia Pacific’ to the chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

ASM Mohsin, the other dismissed teacher, told Prothom Alo that a section of students had demanded his removal, labelling him an “Awami League collaborator”.

Denying any affiliation with a political party, he said, “The university authorities have surrendered to the mob of an extremist right-wing group. I was dismissed without being served a show-cause notice.”

Meanwhile, under the banner of ‘general students and alumni’, a press conference and human chain were organised on campus on Sunday to protest against a “show-cause notice issued to a teacher for taking a photograph with Shaykh Ahmadullah, to demand the permanent dismissal of Layeka Bashir over allegations of harassment of Muslim students for wearing hijab and niqab, and to protest against Islamophobia and discrimination within the university”.

One of the protesting students, Mohammad Maruf Hossain, told Prothom Alo that the protest was against discriminatory behaviour towards students.

He further said that if peaceful protest against injustice was labelled as mob violence, then there was little more to say.

He claimed that an investigation committee formed by the university had heard complaints from many victims who alleged discriminatory behaviour by Layeka Bashir due to them wearing Islamic attire. When the committee began delaying proceedings, students launched the protest, which ultimately led to her dismissal.

Mohammad Maruf Hossain added that students would regroup on Tuesday to press further demands.

Regarding the dismissal of the two teachers, UAP vice-chancellor (VC) Qumrul Ahsan told Prothom Alo that the decision was not taken in response to student protests or demands, but as an administrative measure.

The VC said Layeka Bashir was entitled to express personal opinions on Facebook and there was no objection to that. However, he said she had brought those views into the classroom and commented on students’ attire, which had hurt religious sentiments.

Her dismissal, he said, was based primarily on her actions in the classroom. Regarding the dismissal of the other teacher, the VC said it was due to internal reasons of the university.

In a notice issued Monday, the UAP authorities said it was not possible to continue academic activities amid the ongoing situation. As a result, all classes would remain suspended until further notice. The authorities said they were in discussions with all concerned parties to restore normalcy as soon as possible.

The University Teachers’ Network has condemned and protested both the protests against the two UAP teachers and the actions taken by the university administration.

In a statement issued Monday, the organisation said that academic freedom had been deliberately curtailed through mob pressure on the pretext of differences in thought and ideology.

It added that demands for the dismissal of teachers set a deplorable precedent in the history of universities in Bangladesh.