Scientists, staff feel insecure
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) is in a deep crisis due to apparent breach of discipline at its headquarters in Gazipur for the last two days.
BRRI Director General Dr Md Syedul Islam, Director (admin) Dr Jiban Krishna Bishwas, Head of Agricultural Statistics Division Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir and Assistant Director (general service) Md Abdul Aziz on Monday filed separate general dairies with Joydebpur Sadar Police Station, seeking security of life and safety at workplace.
Police forces were deployed around the BRRI compound while scientists and other staffs inside the institute were found not attending their duties yesterday amid fears following the overnight assault on some scientists and administrators allegedly by a group of unruly junior scientists and workers.
Officials at the agriculture ministry and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (Barc) last night confirmed that the government would take drastic actions against the troublemakers within a day or two.
Barc Executive Chairman Dr Wais Kabir told The Daily Star it was very unfortunate that incidents like assaults and scuffles took place at the BRRI, credited for developing some of the most productive rice varieties in the country.
A senior BRRI scientist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the trouble centred on enhancement of daily labourers’ wages. He claimed that as some labourers misbehaved with some of the administrators at the institute on Monday afternoon, a group of junior scientists lay siege to the director general’s office till late Monday night.
He also hinted at “politicisation” involving some scientific and non-scientific staffs, and various irregularities within the institute for “such indiscipline and outburst”.
Meanwhile, labourers at the institute under the banner of BRRI Sramik Samity brought out a procession on the institute campus yesterday, protesting what they claimed was a ploy to pass the blame onto them for what happened on Monday.
-With The Daily Star input
