Prof Salimullah: Attempts being made to thwart heroism of student-people uprising

Renowned writer, academic and intellectual Professor Dr Salimullah Khan has said that hectic attempts are being made to thwart the heroism of the students and people in the July-August mass uprising.

Remembering the bravery of students in the July-August uprising, he said: “The courage shown by the youth, with the unwavering support of the people, is our greatest asset. It must be preserved.”

“Yet, countless efforts are being made to undermine it,” he added.

Professor Khan said this as the main speaker in a seminar titled “Education Reform Dialogue” held at the Shilpakala Academy Auditorium in the capital on Saturday evening.

Professor Dr Salimullah Khan said: “A Bangladesh based on equality, human dignity and justice could not be built even in 53 years of independence.”

“Now if these three demands are to be implemented in real sense, the first application will be the reform of education and health system,” he said.

He said health, education, and food are inextricably linked.

“If a child does not eat for two days, then that child's education is not complete. If education is to be made universal, the medium of education should be done in the mother tongue of each,” he said.

He suggested that education should be pursued with a principle of expansion rather than restriction, adding that the necessary investment is feasible.

Professor Khan said that the education system is incomplete if it only focuses on producing doctors and engineers under the guise of career-oriented education.

He said: "We must cultivate humane citizens, which means instilling an awareness of their rights and duties.”

He added: “If we had truly done this, we wouldn’t have been compelled to endure 15 years under a dictatorial, undemocratic, and fascist regime."

Professor Khan also criticized the imposition of science, humanities, and business tracks on students as early as ninth grade.

He said that students should have the freedom to choose their paths, whether to pursue a specific profession or to study at all.

Source: UNB