Commentary
Today, 16 December, is Victory Day. On this day in
1971, Bangladesh achieved independence through a long nine-month bloody
struggle. Yet, even after 54 years of that hard-won independence, the reality
is that all citizens of the country still do not enjoy the fruits of that
freedom equally.
While celebrations and festivities marking Victory Day
are taking place in one part of the country, a very different reality is
unfolding in Egojyachari of Majlong in Sajek Union, Rangamati. Allegations have
emerged that a primary school under construction—funded by local residents—has
been demolished by the Forest Department. In protest, local people have blocked
the road. An even more serious allegation is that the army assisted the Forest
Department in demolishing the school. This is not merely an incident of
demolishing a school; it is a direct attack on a constitutionally guaranteed
fundamental right and on the dignity of citizens.
 |
| The under-construction school was reduced to rubble. |
The tragic reality is that on this very Victory Day,
the national flag could have been hoisted on the school grounds. Children could
have listened to stories of independence while holding the red-and-green flag
in their hands. Instead, the area has been overtaken by destruction, protests,
and uncertainty surrounding the future of children’s education.
At one time, dense forests were cleared and indigenous
hill people were displaced to develop Sajek as a tourist destination. Although
no Muslim community resides there, a model mosque has been built for the
convenience of tourists. Yet Sajek residents have no adequate hospitals and no
proper educational institutions suitable for children. While the national
average literacy rate stands at 76 percent, the literacy rate in Sajek Union is
only 27.2 percent.
The interim government has announced another
initiative, under which Starlink satellite internet connectivity will be
provided to 100 schools in selected hill areas. This aims to enable students in
remote regions to participate in online education and allow experienced
teachers to deliver digital classes. It is a technologically forward-looking
initiative intended to promote equality in education.
This initiative by the government is commendable.
However, if there are no schools to begin with, can such advanced digital
systems effectively ensure education for children? And amid such uncertainty in
children’s educational lives, how effective can online education via Starlink
internet really be?
This contradiction forces us to confront difficult
questions. Independence is not merely a one-day celebration; independence means
ensuring justice and dignity. As long as any group of people in this country is
forced to take to the streets to protect its rights, the completeness of
independence will remain in question.
On this Victory Day, the blocked road in Sajek reminds
us that the struggle for the liberation of the hill people is not yet over.
 |
| Local residents block the road in Sajek. |
Another question arises. It is the government’s
responsibility to ensure education for all—this is a fundamental right of
citizens. To guarantee this right, the government must build schools and
colleges even in the remote areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. But when
people, on their own initiative and with their hard-earned money, build schools
and colleges, why does a powerful state force stand in their way?
The justification given is that these schools and
colleges are being built on Forest Department land. But residents ask: if army
camps, police camps, mosques, and tourism facilities can be built on Forest
Department land in Sajek, why is the construction of educational institutions
obstructed? Why does the Forest Department become hyperactive only when hill
people seek to build educational institutions, while forest laws seem to
disappear when police or army camps and other facilities are constructed?
People are asking whether state forces are
deliberately obstructing Sajek residents in order to keep them permanently
submerged in the darkness of illiteracy. The hopeful sign is that the people
are not accepting these obstacles and injustices. They are ready to fight for
their rightful demands, which is why they have taken to the streets. We express
our full support for their just demands and legitimate movement.
(16 December 2025)