Ministry of Education Cancels Appointment of Barishal BM College Vice-Principal Following Protests by BCS Cadre Teachers

The Ministry of Education has revoked the appointment of Professor Abul Kalam Azad as vice-principal of Government Brojomohun (BM) College in Barishal following a week of protests by BCS cadre teachers. An official notification confirming the cancellation was issued on Thursday, signed by ASM Shahriar Jahan, deputy secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division’s Government College-2 branch.

The order officially rescinded the August 20 appointment of Professor Azad, who serves in the Department of Islamic History and Culture at the same college. The ministry cited administrative reasons for the reversal.

The decision follows seven days of sustained protests by BCS cadre teachers, who staged sit-ins and work stoppages to block Professor Azad from assuming his new role. The dispute centered on the appointment of a non-cadre teacher to a key administrative position, a practice that local faculty members have opposed since 2017.

Tensions escalated on the college campus Thursday morning when a group of students supporting Professor Azad gathered in front of the administrative building to demand his reinstatement. This prompted a counter-protest by students supporting the BCS cadre faculty, leading to a brief physical altercation between the two groups.

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The unrest forced college officials to lock the administrative building and the principal’s office to prevent further escalation. The situation remained volatile until approximately 1:00 p.m. According to campus sources, the conflict began after Professor Azad visited his department to speak with students, who subsequently organized a demonstration in his favor.

College Principal Professor Tajul Islam reportedly arrived at the campus around 11:30 a.m. but departed shortly thereafter amid the ongoing disruptions. Multiple attempts to contact the principal for comment were unsuccessful.

Zahirul Islam, an assistant professor and representative of the protesting faculty, stated that the movement was not directed at any specific individual but was intended to protect the professional status of BCS cadre teachers. He emphasized that the staff had long campaigned against the appointment of non-cadre personnel to administrative roles within government colleges. Following the ministry’s announcement, the protesting teachers expressed satisfaction that their core demand had been met.