Cultural workers and civil society of all levels have arranged a human chain protest over the harassment of poet, and teacher Selina Shelley over her Facebook post.
The prominent citizens and guests who joined in the protest demanded to reinstate Selina Shelley as the Acting Principal of Chattogram Bandar Mahila College and that the government to stop harassing her.
The protest took place at Cheragi Square in the city on Wednesday (April 19) afternoon.
At the same time, the speakers demanded to repeal the Digital Security Act.
Prominent citizens of Chattogram said, "Under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, we fought for the country and brought the independence. Bangabandhu did not give us a Bangladesh where a citizen cannot express their opinion or speak."
Freedom fighter Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, Chairman of the liberation research center said in his speech said, "Bengalis fought the liberation war. No one participated in the liberation war by his religious identity. In 1971, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, we all ate rice in one plate and won the war. This port authority is unnecessarily trying to pit pro-liberation forces against the government."
Bangladesh College-University Teachers Association General Secretary Principal Mohammad Jahangir said no one could ever bring any complaint against Selina Shelley in her vast teaching career. For one thing, the action taken by the Port Authority against her over a Facebook post is very despicable. She should be reinstated. Measures should be taken to restore her honour that has been lost.
Poet, journalist Kamrul Hasan Badal said, "Post published by the Selina Shelley has a background. The way Mongol Shobhajatra on Pahela Boishakh was being attacked that way our children might think that Hinduism is a despicable, abandoned subject. We do not want such an unsafe Bangladesh. Digital security Act is stifling people's freedom of thought."
The rally was addressed by the President of Chattogarm District Committee of Communist Party of Bangladesh Professor Ashok Saha and moderated by reciter Rashed Hasan.
Teacher Hossain Kabir, Playwright Pradeep Dewanji, Poet Rashed Rauf, Cultural Organizer Professor Sheela Dasgupta, Literary Alam Khorshed, Poet and Journalist Omar Qaiser, Poet Abhik Osman, Joint Secretary General of Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union Mohsin Kazi were among others spoke at the protest.
On April 16, the Chittagong Port Authority suspended Chattogram Bandar Mohila College acting principal Salina Akhter over her Facebook post on the holy Ramadan.
CPA director (administration) Sadequa Begum issued two notifications on the same day afternoon mentioning Salina’s suspension.
In one notification, the CPA relieved Salina Akhter of the post of acting principal.
In another notification, the authority suspended her from the college and filed a departmental case against her.
BDST: 2120 HRS, APRIL 19, 2023
MSK
