Govt closes Hathazari Madrassah

Education ministry on Thursday ordered closure of classroom activities of the Hathazari Madrassah in Chattogram until further order for not following the conditions it had set amid the coronavirus situation.

A Technical and Madrassah Education division circular issued on Thursday said that the Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Mueenul Islam Madrassah in Hathazari, well known as Hathazari Madrassah, did not follow the government set conditions while it reopened the Qitab section of madrassahs following the health  guidelines on August 24.

‘They breached the health guidelines and other conditions,’ madrassah division secretary Md Aminul Islam Khan said.

Students of the madrassah protested at the decision for two days, beginning from Wednesday after they had learnt that madrassah might shut down.

Nearly 7,000 students study at the madrassah.

Earlier on Wednesday night due to the protest, Majlis-e-Shura Committee expelled madrassah assistant education secretary Anas Madani, citing his tyrannical behaviour.

Anas Madani is publicity secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam and also the son of Allama Ahmad Shafi.

The committee also promised that all kinds of oppression to the students would be stopped and their demands would be fulfilled by September 19, in next Shura Committee meeting. The students went back to their rooms after the committee intervened.

Earlier on Thursday morning, students were furious when the teachers were called by Shafi to attend a meeting around 11:00am announcing the sudden closure of the madrassah without fulfilling students’ demand.

From a Facebook page of a fraction of madrassah complained that during the protest, the agitated students vandalised the room of Allama Shafi, Allama Sheikh Ahmed, Allama Ahmed Didar Kasemi, Mufti Jashim Uddin, Maulanna Omar, Maulana Nurul Islam Jaded, Maulana Osman Mufti Abu Sayed, Maulana Aziz Tawki, Maulana Ishak.

In social media platforms the students became vocal and threatened of consequences if local administration tried to interfere.

The protest would spread all over the country, they announced.

Chattogram Police Super SM Rashidul Haque, additional police super (north) Moshiuddoula Reza, Additional police super (DSB) Mohiuddin Mahmud Sohel, Chattogram (south) District Additional police super Afzurul Haque Tutul, RAB-7 director Moshiur Rahman Jewel, Hathazari police station officer-in-charge Masud Alam and a huge member of law enforcing agency personnel were present in front of the madrassah.

On Wednesday, hundreds of students started protesting to press home their six-point demand.

They demanded the ouster of Anas without delay, appointment of a new director general by mentioning that the current director Allama Shafi was sick, besides call for providing institutional facilities to students and stop all forms of harassment.

They also suggested that Allama Shafi be made an advisor after resigning his post of director general due to his inability, full authority and appointment of teachers must be entrusted to the shura, Haqqani Alems of past shuras should be reinstated and controversial members must be removed from the madrassah.

Allama Ahmad Shafi, is the rector of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Mueenul Islam Madrassah, well known as Hathazari Madrassah.

Meanwhile, the protesting students beat Hefazat-e-Islam joint-secretary-general Mainuddin Ruhi who is a teacher of the madrassah and is now undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Seeking anonymity, a high official of the madrassah told New Age that by boycotting their classes and confining their teachers, hundreds of students started protesting on the grounds of the madrassah after the Zohr prayer.

Students’ complained that due to Shafi’s illness, his son Anas began dismissing teachers and staff without following any rules and regulations.

Anas had also been accused of swaying the madrassah towards the politics of Hefazat-e-Islam and the Qaumi Madrasa Board.

At least 11 teachers and officials have been sacked without any reason, according to the source.

Madrassah assistant director Maulana Sheikh Ahmed was reluctant to make any comment.