Today, September 17 is great education day. On this day in 1962, Wajiullah, Ghulam Mustafa, Babul and many others were martyred in the movement against the education policy imposed by the Pakistani ruling class. This day is being celebrated as Education Day in their memory. On the occasion of the day, student organizations and cultural groups had undertaken various programs.
It is a day of bloody memories of the mass movement of students protesting against the anti-people education policy of the then government of Pakistan and demanding the introduction of a people-oriented education policy. The day is celebrated all over the country with due dignity every year.
The dictator Ayub Khan formed an education commission on December 30, 1958, two months after taking power. The commission formed under the leadership of SM Sharif is known as Sharif Commission. The Commission submitted its report on August 27, 1959. The Ayub government accepted the recommendations of the report. From 1962, the then government started implementing the recommendations of the Sharif Commission.
The report of the commission proposed to make arrangements for the reservation of higher education for the affluent class as well as to establish full government control instead of autonomy in universities and to ban politics in universities and colleges. The commission even proposed reform of the Bengali alphabet.
Various student organizations including student unions and student leagues started opposing this education policy of the government of Pakistan. Following this, on September 17, 1962, the then ‘Chattra Sangram Parishad’ announced a nationwide strike. Thousands of people took part in a rally at Dhaka University that morning. A procession was brought out at the end of the rally. At one point during the procession, police charged batons, fired tear gas and fired gun shots from behind.
Officially, one was killed, 73 were injured and 59 were arrested. However, the protesters claimed that 3 people were killed. On that day police had attacked the procession across the country. On the occasion of the day, various student organizations will also hold a program today.