Staff Correspondent:

BNP senior leader Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Thursday alleged that the country’s education system has been deliberately destroyed by the past autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina to continue her misrule and suppress people.

“They (AL govt) feared that if people become educated, they would raise their voice against injustice. Over the last 17 years, they have destroyed the entire education system of the country,” he told a seminar.

Dhaka University teachers of the white panel, a pro-BNP teachers’ association, organised the event tiled ‘President Ziaur Rahman’s Educational Philosophy and programmes at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, marking the marking the 44th martyrdom anniversary of BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman.

Dr Moyeen, a BNP Standing Committee Member, said although many rural schools were nationalised, teachers and students are no longer attending classes. “It is not their fault. The government itself wanted to keep the nation in darkness,” he said.

Praising former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s role in education, he said, “Begum Zia introduced stipends for students, which benefited the nation greatly.”

Referring to the criticism that BNP was founded in the cantonment, Moyeen Khan said, Ziaur Rahman, a soldier, did more for education than any other civilian leaders.

“The fact is, Ziaur Rahman took many initiatives to ensure quality education for the people. On the other hand, those who (AL) claim to be a party of the people tried to keep the nation uneducated in a planned way. Why?” he said.

The BNP leader said Zia’s various initiatives proved his deep love for education, mentioning his sea voyage with meritorious students under the Hizbul Bahar programme as a symbol of his educational vision.

Realizing that one can be at the top of the world only through education, initiation, and advancement in knowledge and science, the BNP leader said Ziaur Rahman emphasized the development of the education system.

He also said the educational philosophy and programmes of Ziaur Rahman could be the subject of a PhD research.

Speaking on the Iran-Israel issue, Moyeen Khan said America is not powerful because of weapons, but because of knowledge. “If a list of the top 100 universities in the world is made, around 70 to 80 of them are American.”

He said Zia believed in development through productivity. “He was the first to think about nuclear power in Bangladesh. He always promoted practical and realistic education. His contributions are countless.”

In just three and a half years, Moyeen said Zia took effective steps for the country. “There is hardly any sector in national life where he did not leave his mark.”

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who attended the seminar as special guest, said, “Ziaur Rahman introduced a people-oriented education system to make the nation self-reliant. “His policies were visionary, unlike Sheikh Hasina’s fascist approach.”

Rizvi also said Zia strengthened every sector, including economy, education and foreign policy, establishing a disciplined foundation for the nation.

Professor Dr Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan, Dean of Dhaka University’s Faculty of Arts, presented the keynote paper.

He described Ziaur Rahman as a realistic and future-oriented leader who laid the foundation of modern Bangladesh.

He said Zia didn’t write a detailed philosophy of education, but his speeches, policies, and programmes reflected a clear vision. “He promoted science, technology, and technical education, as well as moral values aligned with Islamic principles.”

BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu, BNP Media Cell Convener Dr Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, and White Panel Joint Convenor Professor Dr Md Abdus Salam, among others, spoke at the seminar presided over by Professor Dr Morshed Hasan Khan, convenor of the DU White Panel.

The programme was also attended by over 500 teachers and officials from various universities, including vice chancellors, pro-VCs, deans and provosts.