In Tangail, a group of current and former students of Bindubasini Government Boys’ High School staged a protest, claiming that students were forced to attend a political program of the National Citizen Party (NCP). The incident sparked outrage among the school community.
Student Protest in the City
On Wednesday afternoon (30 July), the protesting students marched from the school premises through the main roads of Tangail town. The march ended in front of the Tangail Press Club, where they held a protest rally. During the event, they raised strong slogans against NCP.
Students Speak Out
During the protest, current student Saiful Bari, and former students Tanjil Ahmed and Sajib Ahmed addressed the gathering.
They said that on Tuesday, NCP leaders entered multiple classrooms without the school’s permission and forced students to join their political program.
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One of them stated:
“যারা শিক্ষার্থীদের রাজনৈতিক অনুষ্ঠানে যেতে বাধ্য করেছেন, তাদের শাস্তি দিতে হবে।”
“Those who forced students to join a political event must be punished.”
They also demanded a public apology from those involved.
School Denies Responsibility
When asked about the issue, Headmaster Tofazzal Hossain of Bindubasini Government Boys’ High School said:
“মঙ্গলবার দিবা শাখার ষষ্ঠ থেকে অষ্টম শ্রেণির ক্লাস শেষে ছুটি হয়েছিল। কিন্তু পরে স্কুলের পাশে নিরালা মোড়ে জাতীয় নাগরিক পার্টির সমাবেশের মাইকের শব্দের কারণে নবম ও দশম শ্রেণির ক্লাস ছুটি দেওয়া হয়। কারা সমাবেশে গেছে, তা আমাদের জানা নেই।”
“Classes for grades six to eight ended as usual. But due to loudspeaker noise from the nearby NCP rally, we gave early leave to grades nine and ten. We don’t know who attended the rally.”
He further mentioned that the protest was not coordinated with school authorities:
“একটি প্রতিবাদ মিছিল ছাত্ররা করেছে। আমাদের সঙ্গে কথা বলে এ কর্মসূচি তারা পালন করেনি।”
“The students did a protest march, but it wasn’t discussed or organized through us.”
NCP Coordinator Apologizes
Masudur Rahman (Russel), the District Coordinator of NCP, expressed regret:
“আমি এ নিয়ে প্রাক্তন ও বর্তমান শিক্ষার্থীদের কাছে দুঃখ প্রকাশ করছি। আমরা তাদের বলেছি, ভবিষ্যতে এনসিপির কোনও প্রোগ্রামে তাদের আনা হবে না।”
“I apologize to the former and current students. We’ve assured them that no such participation will be asked in future.”
NCP Leader Responds on Facebook
Azad Khan Bhasani, NCP’s northern region organizer, also posted on Facebook acknowledging the issue. He wrote:
“জাতীয় নাগরিক পার্টির জুলাই পদযাত্রায় টাঙ্গাইলে বিন্দুবাসিনীর শিক্ষার্থীদের উপস্থিত হওয়া নিয়ে দলীয় কোনও নির্দেশনা বা ভূমিকা ছিল না।”
“There was no party instruction or involvement behind the presence of Bindubasini students at the NCP rally.”
He explained that the situation happened unexpectedly and was not planned:
“বিচ্ছিন্নভাবে এই ঘটনার সূত্রপাত হয়েছে…আমরা এই অনভিপ্রেত ঘটনার জন্য আন্তরিকভাবে দুঃখ প্রকাশ করছি।”
“This happened as an isolated incident… We sincerely apologize for this unfortunate event.”
Background of the NCP Rally
The controversy took place during NCP’s “July March”, which started from the Shamsul Haque Gate area and moved through several city streets. The final public gathering was held near Nirala Mor, where senior NCP leaders including Nahid Islam addressed the crowd.
Source: Bangla Tribune
