DHAKA, 25 August 2007 — In an apparent frantic bid to stamp out dissent against its seven-month rule, the caretaker government in Bangladesh yesterday arrested four university professors who were allegedly active in protests that erupted into clashes with police and prompted a curfew in six cities, officials said.
The arrests in early morning raids came before the government said it would temporarily suspend the curfew imposed after three days of unrest in the country, which has been under emergency rule since January. The government headed by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed has ordered a crackdown on leaders of the university teaching community, student leaders and student activists.
Four senior university teachers including former Rajshahi University Vice Chancellor Saidur Rahman Khan and Dhaka University Teachers’ Association General Secretary Anwar Hossain, dean of bioscience, and Azizul Bari Helal, the president of Bangladesh Nationalist Party student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, were arrested by security personnel yesterday morning in the capital and in Rajshahi.
Two professors of Rajshahi University — former VC Saidur Rahman and Abdus Sobhan — were arrested from their residences in Rajshahi yesterday. Harunur Rashid, dean of Dhaka University’s social science faculty, and Anwar Hossain were arrested at their campus homes, acting Vice Chancellor Yusuf Haider said.
“At least 10 army officers came to our house in the night and said my father had to go with them to the police station,” said Hossain’s daughter Dipannita.
The pair have been active in the protests this week, which began after army personnel manhandled students during a football match on the campus of Dhaka University on Monday. The military-backed government took power seven months ago following a political crisis that saw the cancellation of elections.
Rajshahi University head Altaf Hossain said intelligence officers told him they suspected teachers at the university of instigating violence there earlier this week that left one bystander dead and dozens injured.
