In a startling turn of events, Bangladesh's Ministry of Education rescinded an order that had sparked widespread criticism. Originally signed on January 2 by Abed Nomani, the director of monitoring and evaluation for secondary education, the order required officers to report institutions and students engaged in anti-government "provocative activities." It was withdrawn on January 22 after facing severe backlash for threatening the democratic spirit of last year's student-led revolution.
More than 800 people lost their lives during the revolution that culminated in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5, 2024. The movement led to the establishment of an interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. Critics condemned the order as undermining this monumental shift towards democracy.
Education Minister Wahiduddin Mahmud claimed ignorance of the directive, stating that no instructions had been issued to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education to circulate such a notification.
"The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education was not instructed to issue any notification" – Wahiduddin Mahmud
The order, which came merely five months after the revolution, alarmed many for its apparent echo of autocratic tendencies. Supreme Court lawyer Snehadri Chakravarty criticized it as an infringement on constitutional rights.
"Student-led protests once toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina because people's freedom of speech and expression was being curtailed" – Snehadri Chakravarty
The order was widely shared on social media and appeared in newspapers, drawing significant public attention and outrage. Chakravarty further highlighted the disconnect between the order and the revolutionary spirit.
"This type of notification is not in line with the spirit of the mass uprising, which claimed so many lives" – Snehadri Chakravarty
Nomani, who issued the original directive, suggested that some government factions may be reverting to past practices.
"Within five months, some factions of the government appear to be echoing her actions" – Snehadri Chakravarty
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