Dhaka, Oct 30 (IANS) In yet another disturbing development raising concerns over the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) has dismissed seven employees, including three Hindu teachers and two other Hindu staff members, over alleged disciplinary violations and other irregularities, local media reported on Friday.
According to KUET Registrar Engineer Anichur Rahman Bhuiyan, the decision was taken at the university's 115th syndicate meeting.
Those dismissed include Professor Pintu Chandra Shil of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department, Professor Subrata Talapatra of the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) department, and Assistant Professor Nibir Mondal of the Energy Science and Engineering (ESE) department.
The other two employees dismissed are Deputy Registrar Nimai Chandra Mistry and office assistant Satyajit Kumar Dutta, leading Bangladeshi daily 'Dhaka Tribune' reported.
The development comes amid escalating atrocities on minority communities, particularly Hindus in Bangladesh, a trend that began during the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and has persisted under the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) administration.
Earlier this week, a Hindu man was allegedly stabbed to death, while three homes belonging to Hindu families were vandalised and looted in a separate incident in Bangladesh, local media reported.
The deceased Hindu man, identified as 43-year-old Rabendra Rishi, who owned a salon, was allegedly stabbed to death by a man after refusing to provide a haircut on credit in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district on Tuesday evening.
Citing police information, Bangladeshi Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported that the accused, 26-year-old Saddam, stabbed Rabendra in the chest and neck with a sharp knife, killing him on the spot.
Following the arrest of Saddam, Mohammad Zahidul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bhaluka Model Police Station, said, "The accused is behaving crazy. A five-day remand has been sought for his interrogation. The body has been recovered and handed over to the family after the autopsy."
In a separate incident, three homes belonging to Hindu families were vandalised and looted in Chak Karimpur village of Pirganj upazila in Rangpur district on Monday night, following a social media post that allegedly offended the religious sentiments of Muslims, local media reported, citing police.
The affected houses belonged to three brothers -- Bishu Chandra Mohanta, 50, Jagadish Chandra Mohanta, 60, and Dinesh Chandra Mohanta, 46.
Speaking to 'The Daily Star', Bishu said the attackers damaged his television, furniture, walls and doors and stole two goats from his house.
His brothers Jagadish and Dinesh said that their houses were also vandalised, with doors, fences and furniture damaged and televisions and other valuables stolen.
Jagadish's wife, Arati Rani, said she fled the house to protect herself during the attack. "When the attackers stormed our house, we pleaded with them to stop. But they threatened to kill me," she said.
Condemning the attack on Hindu families in Rangpur, Bangladesh's Awami League said that minority communities have faced persistent insecurity in the country since August 2024.
"Allegations of religious insult must never become a license for mob violence, looting, intimidation or collective punishment. Every accused person deserves due process; every victim deserves equal protection under the law," the party stated.
--IANS
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