ASIA/BANGLADESH - Bishop Subroto Gomes: "Student protests" must respect the rights of others

Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) - "The situation we find ourselves in after the political and social crisis of last August is delicate. There are still tensions in society, there are protests, especially among young people. The massive student protests have led the Prime Minister to leave the country and flee abroad. The new interim government led by Mohamed Yunus now has the difficult task of healing the political, social and economic wounds, restoring trust, but also maintaining the rule of law, because there are also some worrying signs," said the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dhaka, Subroto Boniface Gomes, in an interview with Fides.
The Bishop points to possible "dangers" arising from the student protests. "For example, in some Catholic schools in the diocese of Dhaka, students tried to force the dismissal of some teachers, duly selected and paid by the school administration, just because they did not agree with the new course or because they dared to criticize the student protest. This led to a crisis in our schools, which are attended by 95% Muslim or non-Christian students," he explains. "Faced with the attempt to impose this or other measures by force, such as admitting girls wearing burqas in school, the Archbishop first decided, in a resounding decision, to close two schools. One was a girls' school, the other is run by the Brothers of the Holy Cross. The joint intervention of the parents' committee, religious representatives and school staff enabled dialogue, a peaceful solution to the crisis and the reopening of the schools. We could not give up on our values and principles. But it is an example that the legitimate rights of students must not interfere with and undermine democracy, the rule of law or the rights of others,” said Bishop Gomes.

Another aspect to keep under control “is the return or creation of radical Islamic groups and parties that could affect the lives of religious minorities or promote an Islamization agenda.” “We must be vigilant in this regard because the temptation of extremism is just around the corner. It is important not to polarize society. We trust that the new Yunus government will turn the tide in the spirit of upholding democratic principles, respect for the constitution and fundamental freedoms for all citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation,” said the bishop.

In July this year, thousands of students took to the streets to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate a controversial quota system for access to coveted government jobs. The government of Prime Minister Shehik Hasina responded to the demonstrations by deploying police and paramilitary forces, who shot at the crowd. The protests thus became a movement against Hasina and his party, the Awami League, which has ruled the country for 15 years, often delegitimizing or arresting political opponents and dissidents. The official number of victims of the repression is around 1,000 dead and hundreds injured. On August 5, the head of government finally fled abroad, seeking refuge in India. The army then dissolved parliament and appointed 84-year-old economist Muhammad Yunus, known as the "banker of the poor", as head of a transitional government. He is known for the "Grameen Bank", which specializes in the microcredit system and for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. His executive is now leading a delicate transition period until new elections.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2024)

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