Appoint religious teachers instead of music teachers at primary level, Hefazat tells govt; warns of mass protests

The Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh on Friday issued a joint statement calling the newly-published gazette by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, which outlines the regulations for appointing music teachers, an "anti-Islamic" agenda and warned of mass protests.

In the statement, which quotes party's Amir Muhibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Sajedur Rahman, it said, "The demand for appointing religious teachers in primary education on behalf of all Islamic parties is long-standing. Ignoring this, issuing a regulation to appoint music teachers is a clearly anti-Islamic step. 

"Moreover, students in government primary schools are so weak in basic subjects like Bangla, Math, and English that many parents are now turning away from schools and enrolling their children in madrasas. We have also observed some secular media making a fuss over this. The government should ensure the recruitment of skilled and qualified teachers to improve the quality of basic education, including appointing religious teachers at the primary level."

The party said they want the gazette immediately revoked and the regulations changed to appoint religious teachers instead of music teachers, the statement added.

"We demand that this gazette be immediately revoked and regulations be made to appoint religious teachers instead of music teachers at the primary level; otherwise, if necessary, we will organise mass protests on the streets to press our demands, Inshallah. We call upon the broader Islamic community to be aware and united to protect the Islamic values and faith of Muslim children and adolescents," the leaders were quoted as saying in the statement. 

Meanwhile, Hefazat mentioned that the use of musical instruments is prohibited in Islam. 

Moreover, music is not part of fundamental education. In a Muslim-majority country like Bangladesh, no government has the right to impose music education on children at the primary level without consulting Muslim parents, it added.

"The effort to introduce LGBT content and music to steer pious Muslim children and adolescents away from Islamic values and implement a de-Islamisation project has always been part of the fallen Awami fascist regime's agenda. Unfortunately, taking advantage of the interim government's weakness, some Western-oriented, privileged civil society NGO workers have begun implementing these old anti-Islam agendas at the state level," the statement also added. 

"We hope that the government will promptly issue a new regulation to appoint religious teachers at the primary level instead of music teachers. We do not want any confrontational situation to arise between the interim government and the ulema."