Zahidul Karim, an Associate Professor in the Management Studies Department at Jahangirnagar University (JU), resigned from his job on July 25. He quit to protest against the attacks on students during the recent quota reform movement.
On Thursday, Zahidul sent his resignation letter to the Vice-Chancellor through the university registrar, Abu Hasan, stating he resigned because he was deeply upset by the brutal attacks on students.
Zahidul expressed his shame and shock at the role of teachers in the quota reform movement. He said teachers have lost their humanity and conscience to political interests. He felt that the freedom gained by the blood of many martyrs is under threat today.
In his resignation letter, Zahidul mentioned he had been teaching at Jahangirnagar University for 14 years. He criticized the government's indifference and the partisan attitude of teachers toward the recent violence in the country. He said many students lost their lives due to the government's aggressive stance against the quota reform movement. He believed that if the government had accepted the students' demands quickly, many lives could have been saved.
Zahidul also criticized the university administration and teachers for remaining indifferent to the violence. He felt the teacher-student relationship has been damaged and that teachers' conscience has disappeared due to political bias. He concluded his letter by resigning to awaken the values and morals of the teaching community.
The university registrar, Abu Hasan, confirmed receiving Zahidul's resignation email. Zahidul joined Jahangirnagar University in 2010. He is currently in the United States pursuing his Ph.D.
