Healing campus environment
Friday, 7 May 2010
Since the change of government some fifteen months ago, the campuses continue to be a particularly difficult area for governance. The student wing of the ruling party invited charges for many undesirable activities, ranging from expulsion of their political opponents from the dormitories to indulging in tender grabbing and other activities for making money. After establishing their dominance over the campuses, the student activists of the Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL), claiming allegiance to the ruling party, were seen getting embroiled in bloody factional clashes for supremacy. Thus, the campuses in the country have been in a state of turmoil and the violence fest has seriously undermined the academic atmosphere. This in-fighting among the rival factions of the student organization, claiming blessings of the ruling party, have turned worse recently with Dhaka University and other institutions of higher learning becoming affected by the same. Media coverage of the alarming countrywide rise in these incidents over the last couple of days is extensive and deeply worrying.
It should be noted that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been particularly careful in distancing herself from these trouble makers. The Prime Minister not only scolded these groups, she even formally declared her dissociation from the BCL as its supreme leader. The Home Minister also issued directives to the law enforcement bodies to take stern action against these elements and other leading figures in the ruling party have been urging the government to do likewise. But notwithstanding these well-intentioned moves from the highest level of the government, it seems that the directives are not being followed at the field levels. The government is faced with the need of applying immediate and blunt cut and dry measures to stop the growing violence in the campuses. There is now no way for the government to shirk from such a role at the fastest because the relatively softer attempts to persuade and bring the deviant student cadres back to some form of tolerable and reasonable behaviour have failed. The government is drawing intense criticisms for taking time in moving against these violators of peace in the campuses.
The greatest casualty of the orgies of violence is the peaceful environment in the campuses that is the biggest requirement for smooth academic activities. The educational institutions were set up at huge costs and are maintained and run at great costs to further educational endeavours of young people who would be counted as the country's future hopes in all respects. But when campus violence disrupts completion of the academic year in time, frustrates the law-abiding student population from pursuing their studies and career amid the expected serene conditions in their respective campuses, the same then must be counted as a major national loss and nothing short. Bangladesh has been losing or draining precious resources due to this factor of lack of peace or proper educational environment in the premises of its educational institutions for a long time as students as well as teachers have been leaving the country in large number for foreign destinations -- and many of them left wishing never to return.
Therefore, the giving of a sustainable healing touch to the campuses has become a focal point of national aspirations. Government needs to recognize and act upon this national expectation with the seriousness and respect it deserves.
It should be noted that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been particularly careful in distancing herself from these trouble makers. The Prime Minister not only scolded these groups, she even formally declared her dissociation from the BCL as its supreme leader. The Home Minister also issued directives to the law enforcement bodies to take stern action against these elements and other leading figures in the ruling party have been urging the government to do likewise. But notwithstanding these well-intentioned moves from the highest level of the government, it seems that the directives are not being followed at the field levels. The government is faced with the need of applying immediate and blunt cut and dry measures to stop the growing violence in the campuses. There is now no way for the government to shirk from such a role at the fastest because the relatively softer attempts to persuade and bring the deviant student cadres back to some form of tolerable and reasonable behaviour have failed. The government is drawing intense criticisms for taking time in moving against these violators of peace in the campuses.
The greatest casualty of the orgies of violence is the peaceful environment in the campuses that is the biggest requirement for smooth academic activities. The educational institutions were set up at huge costs and are maintained and run at great costs to further educational endeavours of young people who would be counted as the country's future hopes in all respects. But when campus violence disrupts completion of the academic year in time, frustrates the law-abiding student population from pursuing their studies and career amid the expected serene conditions in their respective campuses, the same then must be counted as a major national loss and nothing short. Bangladesh has been losing or draining precious resources due to this factor of lack of peace or proper educational environment in the premises of its educational institutions for a long time as students as well as teachers have been leaving the country in large number for foreign destinations -- and many of them left wishing never to return.
Therefore, the giving of a sustainable healing touch to the campuses has become a focal point of national aspirations. Government needs to recognize and act upon this national expectation with the seriousness and respect it deserves.