Sunday, August 15, which later became one of the most important days in the history of Afghanistan, was an unforgettable day for me and other colleagues and compatriots.
That day, after entering Kabul University, I first went to my office (Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences) and reviewed my work plans for the same day. On that day, in addition to reviewing the faculty and administrative work of the faculty, I was scheduled to participate in a science program and in the afternoon at a meeting of the University Leadership Council.
On that day, at the beginning of the official hours, when I went to the classrooms to visit them, and the classroom atmosphere and the way the students and professors attended the faculty were completely different from the previous days. Each spoke of the successive fall of the provinces, especially the neighboring provinces of Kabul. When I went to the office again, a few minutes later a number of female students came to my office and asked what would happen to them if Kabul fell to the Taliban. I said God is merciful, but no one can predict the situation in Afghanistan because of the differences in the words of government leaders and their actions. The professors and colleagues who came to my office also talked about the Taliban’s military advance and their approach to Kabul.
I was also invited to participate in an entrepreneurship program at the National Center for Policy Research (NCPR). I left the office and went to the center in spite of worries on that day. When I arrived at the office of the NCPR, I entered the conference room after registering. I noticed that, with the exception of the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Science of the Ministry of Higher Education, who was to attend the program, the leadership of Kabul University, a number of deans and other guests were present. Concerns about the country’s poor security situation could be seen in the fact that participants checked the news on social media at any time and exchanged it.
The program began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, then the president of Kabul University spoke. As the security situation on that day seemed tense, the president of the university shortened his speech and asked the organizers to end the program as soon as possible.
The meeting of the University Leadership Council was scheduled to take place at 1:30 pm in the Academic Council Hall. Since numerous members of the Leadership Council were present at the entrepreneurship program and news of the Taliban’s advance was reaching Kabul at any time, I asked the President to direct his office to the other director of the University Leadership Council at the end of the program. At the same time, instead of the Scientific Council Hall, invite to the conference hall of the National Center for Policy Research. He accepted my offer. Moments later, with the arrival of a number of other members of the University Leadership Council, Dr. Mohammad Osman Babury, President of Kabul University, concluded the entrepreneurship program and began a meeting of the Leadership Council. Although six important issues were included in the agenda of the leadership council meeting, only a few important and urgent decisions were made and other issues, including the agenda, were not addressed due to the critical situation of the day.
After the meeting, the dean of the faculties was supposed to go to the relevant faculties and do the necessary work. At about 12:00 noon, as we were leaving the National Center for Policy Research, I saw professors, staff, and students on the campus rush to the exits faster than usual, trying to get home as soon as possible.
Due to traffic jams and chaos on different routes in Kabul that day, a huge number of Kabul citizens walked for hours to reach their homes.
After arriving at the Faculty of Social Science, with the cooperation of the General Director of Teaching, we moved the important documents related to the Faculty to safer places and did some other necessary work to protect the important documents. Then I left the university and went home.
After arriving home, eating, and offering prayer at noon, I watched the news on TV and social media, which at any moment reported the fall of the government and the arrival of the Taliban in different parts of Kabul. Most of the news media outlets of that day were disorganized and published mostly moment-to-moment security reports.
At about 4:00 pm, I left home because of my worries about the university, and unlike other days, I walked to the university in my own clothes; with the goal that if abusers enter the university, I will do at least the necessary work to prevent it.
When I arrived at the university, most of the guards at the university gates were in plain clothes and unarmed. There was no one inside the university except the repairmen. Many bodyguards gathered on the campus in front of the university.
When I approached them, one of the guards asked me after greeting me, “Why did you come to the university in this situation?” I asked him, “Why are you here? He replied, “We are protectors.” I said I am also the protector of the university.
After a few minutes of talking conservatively, especially about the fact that unfortunately in recent years in our country we have witnessed various changes and revolutions that in most cases all institutions, including scientific and academic institutions have been damaged, scientific institutions that every government needs without the existence of these institutions, the existence of governments is meaningless, and from there I walked to the Faculty of Social Sciences.
This college also had only guards present. I talked to them about how to protect the university if the Taliban got here. I assured them that they could contact me at any time if necessary. I later left and headed home again.
Along the way, I noticed that in some places along the roads, there were military drills and signs of military ranks mounted on military uniforms.
It is noteworthy that in the afternoon of that day, the atmosphere of the university had completely changed. It seemed that with the change of government and the ruling regime, Kabul University would go into a permanent closure. Unfortunately, that is what happened.
Currently, about three months have passed since that day, I cannot forget the events of that day, but I hope the Taliban will regularly activate all institutions, especially scientific and academic ones.