For violence free campus
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
A wind of change is blowing across the world. Last year we saw a great change in America, when 47-year old Barack Obama was elected its president. Obama was elected campaigning for change. Similarly Sheikh Hasina also got elected pledging change. The Obama campaign for change attracted the American youth. Sheikh Hasina's appeal for change also attracted the youth. They expected the change to come.
The youth worked hard for the 'Mohajot' to get the landslide victory. But the youth and students are suffering as their educational institutions are closing one by one and they are getting killed or injured.
Educational institutions are facing new problems. A student of Dhaka Medical College has been killed. More than two dozen institutions are closed. Admission business plagues the government colleges. Common students are scared, and then guardians are worried about the future of their sons and daughters.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has severed her 'organisational link' with Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). The media had alerted Prime Minister Hasina about the problem at the very outset when BCL starting seizing the halls and beating up their rivals. On January 18 last, a daily wrote "Prodhan Montri, Chhatra League ke shamlan". (Prime Minister control Chhatra League). She tried but did not succeed. Then it turned into fictional fighting within BCL. The BCL groups openly fought with arms and injured their rival groups in the organisation. The clashes grew day by day. The media told her this time, "Prodhan montri Chhatra League ke shamlate parlen na". (Prime Minister, you could not control Chhatra League).
It made the Prime Minister somewhat angry. On February 18 last the Prime Minister in her speech said she will not allow such student violence to continue anymore. She also warned them that anyone indulging in such violence would be brought to book.
All the educational institutions of Rajshahi are already closed. Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University and Dhaka Medical College met the same fate.
So much for change. Is it what we expected? Where is the vision of Digital Bangladesh? In stead of taking preparation for Digital Bangladesh, students are indulging in violence.
We still think that the promised change is possible. The Prime minister should take the initiative to restart the traditional student politics and ensure educational environment on the campus.
Mahfuzur Rahman Manik
IER, Dhaka University
mahfuz_du@hotmail.com
The youth worked hard for the 'Mohajot' to get the landslide victory. But the youth and students are suffering as their educational institutions are closing one by one and they are getting killed or injured.
Educational institutions are facing new problems. A student of Dhaka Medical College has been killed. More than two dozen institutions are closed. Admission business plagues the government colleges. Common students are scared, and then guardians are worried about the future of their sons and daughters.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has severed her 'organisational link' with Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). The media had alerted Prime Minister Hasina about the problem at the very outset when BCL starting seizing the halls and beating up their rivals. On January 18 last, a daily wrote "Prodhan Montri, Chhatra League ke shamlan". (Prime Minister control Chhatra League). She tried but did not succeed. Then it turned into fictional fighting within BCL. The BCL groups openly fought with arms and injured their rival groups in the organisation. The clashes grew day by day. The media told her this time, "Prodhan montri Chhatra League ke shamlate parlen na". (Prime Minister, you could not control Chhatra League).
It made the Prime Minister somewhat angry. On February 18 last the Prime Minister in her speech said she will not allow such student violence to continue anymore. She also warned them that anyone indulging in such violence would be brought to book.
All the educational institutions of Rajshahi are already closed. Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University and Dhaka Medical College met the same fate.
So much for change. Is it what we expected? Where is the vision of Digital Bangladesh? In stead of taking preparation for Digital Bangladesh, students are indulging in violence.
We still think that the promised change is possible. The Prime minister should take the initiative to restart the traditional student politics and ensure educational environment on the campus.
Mahfuzur Rahman Manik
IER, Dhaka University
mahfuz_du@hotmail.com