People have once again taken to the streets in Bangladesh, but this time, the protests are not against Sheikh Hasina, rather against Muhammad Yunus, who heads the interim government. The country is witnessing a widespread cultural movement, with students and teachers demanding protection of Bangladesh’s cultural identity.
According to media reports, the protests began after the Yunus government cancelled the appointments of music and physical education teachers in primary schools. The administration claimed the decision was made due to budget constraints and administrative difficulties, but protesters allege the real reason was appeasement of Islamist groups.
Demonstrators say the government has declared music and physical education as “un-Islamic” subjects. Hundreds of students gathered under the Aparajeyo Bangla statue at Dhaka University, singing the national anthem and songs from the 1971 Liberation War in defiance.
Their banners read: “You can silence music in schools, but you cannot remove it from the hearts of Bangladeshis.”
