The University Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh (UTAB) has strongly condemned the threat issued to Jahangirnagar University assistant professor Nahreen Islam Khan, terming it an assault on democratic values and intellectual freedom.
In a statement signed by UTAB president Professor ABM Obaidul Islam and general secretary Professor Morshed Hasan Khan on Thursday, the association said the threats appeared to have been provoked by Nahreen’s remarks on a political party’s current position and its historical role as an anti-liberation force, which she made during talk shows and media discussions.
‘We have been informed about several indecent, aggressive, and threatening emails sent to Professor Nahreen Islam Khan,’ the statement said.
It further noted that ‘offensive and defamatory comments targeting her on social media are not only vulgar and condemnable but also an attack on the dignity of the teaching community and the freedom of intellectual discourse at universities.’
‘Threatening a teacher or obstructing their professional duties is not merely a personal attack — it is a direct blow to the education system and the environment of higher learning,’ the statement added.
Describing the act as ‘anti-democratic and terroristic,’ UTAB urged the authorities to identify and bring those responsible to justice promptly and to ensure full protection for Nahreen and other members of the university community.
‘The dignity of the teaching profession and the safety of educators are moral obligations of the state,’ the statement read, adding that the incident underscored ongoing security concerns within higher education institutions.
UTAB also called on the Jahangirnagar University authorities to take immediate steps to ensure a safe, fear-free campus for teachers, students, and staff, emphasizing that freedom of expression must be safeguarded in all academic spaces.
