Teachers from various universities across the country have expressed their support for the student-led movement demanding quota reform.
The Dhaka University Teachers' Network organized a rally at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla on the Dhaka University campus on Monday.
During the rally, they demanded an end to the killings, disappearances, and harassment of students through mass arrests and called for the release of detainees.
A minute's silence was observed in memory of those killed in the movement, describing them as “martyrs”. The rally also called for referring to the incident of killings in the ongoing movement as “July-killings”.
Dr Sayeed Ferdous, a professor in the anthropology department of Jahangirnagar University, said: "You consider the students as your opponents. These students have come to change the shell of Bangladesh. They are paving the way for writing a new history by challenging the continuous anarchy that has persisted in educational institutions and the country for the last five decades since independence, as well as the well-planned repression by the ruling student organization in the halls. We support each of those students' demands."
He added: "Everyone responsible for the death of the students, including officeholders, institutional leaders, law enforcement personnel, and teachers, should be brought to justice. We support the students' demand to restore the atmosphere of university education and to reopen the university. But first of all, stop the killings."
Professor Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, former president of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) Teachers' Association and professor of electrical and electronic engineering, said: "Prof Shamsuzzoha was martyred in February 1969 while protecting students. We who have gathered here are the descendants of Shaheed Shamsuzzoha. Our children, who are fighting for their rights against discrimination, are the descendants of the freedom fighters. History tells us what the outcome of this battle will be. History is compelling us to act, and we will definitely fulfil that responsibility."
Nasir Uddin Ahmed, associate professor of the English department at Jagannath University (JnU), said: "The cases being filed against the students are the cases of the police and have become a business for them. Stop this business. Students are being abducted from their homes by being implicated in false cases. You will find pictures of this movement on the mobile phones of 50 million people. Will you put 5 million in jail? Enlarge the prisons because if you check the mobiles, you will see the pictures of the movement on everyone's device. Let the children return to their studies and their work, and return to the democratic process. You will never be able to connect with the people of the country, let alone develop the country, by staying in an autocratic process."
Among those who spoke at the rally were Prof Dr Rushad Faridi of the economics department of Dhaka University, Prof Abdullah Harun Chowdhury of the environmental science department at Khulna University, Prof Saimon Reza of the law department at Brac University, Prof Sheikh Nahid Newaz of Stanford University, Prof Masud Imran of Jahangirnagar University, Prof Dr Chowdhury Saima Ferdous of the International Business Department of DU, and Prof Pritu Sharmin of Green University.
Other notable speakers included Tamanna Maksud, a teacher from State University, and Kamrul Hasan Mamun, a professor from the DU physics department.
Following the rally, the teachers returned to the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla through the central library of Dhaka University in a procession.
