Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) is strongly condemning and expressing grave concern over the attack on teachers and students of a school in Chandpur after teachers refused to pay tolls demanded for observing August 15, the National Mourning Day.

According to media reports, some young men, identifying themselves as Jubo League activists, asked teachers of Bhuiyara High School situated in Kachua upazila, Chandpur for money to arrange programmes marking the National Mourning Day. They harassed and assaulted Dulal Chandra Dey, Headmaster of the school, and Fazlur Rahman, Hall Superintendent on the evening of 15 August as teachers refused to contribute towards holding the event

Students formed a human chain on the school premises the following day to protest against that incident but the attackers arrived there and assaulted students with sharp weapons and sticks, leaving 50 pupils injured. Of the injured, 13 girls and 7 boys were admitted to the upazila health complex while the others were given first aid.

In another incident, police on Sunday assaulted students, guardians and teachers who gathered in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Madaripur to protest the killing of two schoolgirls.

We strongly condemn the heinous attacks on young school students, who protested the killing of their classmates and attacks on teachers over extortion in the name of observing August 15.The government asserts that it is aware of protecting the rights of children and also believes in their participatory role but children on the other hand cannot protest peacefully because of hindrance made by police or attacks by terrorists belonging to the ‘ruling party’, which is very frustrating.

Earlier however, on 6 August this year, the minister, Ministry of Public Administration, who is also the General Secretary of local Awami League, warned of immediate legal action, and disciplinary measures to be taken by the party, for demanding tolls in the name of observing the National Mourning Day.

Even though five people have so far been detained in connection with the attack on teachers and students in Chandpur, we expect that the government will take legal action against the perpetrators in order to prevent the  recurrence of such incidents. We observe that, on one hand, violence against childrencontinue to rise because of the failure of law enforcement agencies while the course of protest is also being obstructed.

We are demanding that stern action be taken immediately against the offenders.