Lessons from the turmoil at Dhaka University
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Bazlur Rahman
The tireless efforts and relentless pursuance of noble objectives by the student community during the Language Movement in 1952, mass upsurge in 1969, liberation struggle in 1971, and again movement for toppling another dictator during 1990s, has earned appreciation and glory for the students community. But with the passage of time the role, duties and responsibilities of this community has been denigrated ranging from tender business, party-wing political activities, occupation of dormitories, oppression of general students for satisfying the narrow party-based politics, etc.
Expressing sorrow and grief for the incidents that gripped the country's premier university recently during a game between Public Administration and Mass Communication and Journalism, I would like to ask whether there was any ulterior motive behind the same from any specific group. It was very shocking to eyewitness these happenings but bringing out procession, chanting slogan for the resignation of the chief adviser, also a former teacher of DU, and vandalising public assets cannot be sanctioned in any way either. The same ultimately pushes the nation only into dire crisis .
Intellectuals, civil society members, processionals and people of all walks of life have expressed their sympathy toward the student community. On the day the Dhaka University experienced this ignominious incident, I personally expressed solidarity and was with the students almost the whole night. But observing the overall scene I came to know that a specific group later tried to turn the incident into a political one to trigger a chaotic movement from which they could derive benefits. What are the consequences today? Another clear indication of longtime session jam! Poor and marginal students will lose their sole source of income they get from teaching students in the city as they have to go home when the residential dormitories have been vacated.
Professor Muzaffar Ahmed, venerable guardian of this university, expressed his opinion in a Bangla daily that university is a place where happening of any incident touches all the people. Agreeing with the significant comment of this redoubtable Chicago-educated educationist and prominent economist, I want to remind the age-old saying of Gresham 'Bad money drives away the circulation of good money from market'. Another veteran professor of DU expressed his grief saying that army did the wrong thing by slapping a student but why further movement when the government decides to withdraw army camp from the university ? It is nothing but well-orchestrated machination to extract political benefit as the political parties and their pet-cadres at the educational institutions have not been finding any justification for starting movement during the state of emergency.
An incident happened and general students along with cadres protested but they forgot that 'excess of everything is very bad'. To bring the situation under control the government took wise decision and decided to vacate the dormitories of all the universities and colleges at divisional level. Curfew was imposed and is being relaxed from time to time. Who is suffering now? All the general students and general people are suffering most. From now on the nation must think the consequence and future aftermath before jumping into actions thoughtlessly without judging the merits and demerits of an incident.
The author is currently serving the Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited and founder of Association of English Learners, DU. May be reached at [email protected]
The tireless efforts and relentless pursuance of noble objectives by the student community during the Language Movement in 1952, mass upsurge in 1969, liberation struggle in 1971, and again movement for toppling another dictator during 1990s, has earned appreciation and glory for the students community. But with the passage of time the role, duties and responsibilities of this community has been denigrated ranging from tender business, party-wing political activities, occupation of dormitories, oppression of general students for satisfying the narrow party-based politics, etc.
Expressing sorrow and grief for the incidents that gripped the country's premier university recently during a game between Public Administration and Mass Communication and Journalism, I would like to ask whether there was any ulterior motive behind the same from any specific group. It was very shocking to eyewitness these happenings but bringing out procession, chanting slogan for the resignation of the chief adviser, also a former teacher of DU, and vandalising public assets cannot be sanctioned in any way either. The same ultimately pushes the nation only into dire crisis .
Intellectuals, civil society members, processionals and people of all walks of life have expressed their sympathy toward the student community. On the day the Dhaka University experienced this ignominious incident, I personally expressed solidarity and was with the students almost the whole night. But observing the overall scene I came to know that a specific group later tried to turn the incident into a political one to trigger a chaotic movement from which they could derive benefits. What are the consequences today? Another clear indication of longtime session jam! Poor and marginal students will lose their sole source of income they get from teaching students in the city as they have to go home when the residential dormitories have been vacated.
Professor Muzaffar Ahmed, venerable guardian of this university, expressed his opinion in a Bangla daily that university is a place where happening of any incident touches all the people. Agreeing with the significant comment of this redoubtable Chicago-educated educationist and prominent economist, I want to remind the age-old saying of Gresham 'Bad money drives away the circulation of good money from market'. Another veteran professor of DU expressed his grief saying that army did the wrong thing by slapping a student but why further movement when the government decides to withdraw army camp from the university ? It is nothing but well-orchestrated machination to extract political benefit as the political parties and their pet-cadres at the educational institutions have not been finding any justification for starting movement during the state of emergency.
An incident happened and general students along with cadres protested but they forgot that 'excess of everything is very bad'. To bring the situation under control the government took wise decision and decided to vacate the dormitories of all the universities and colleges at divisional level. Curfew was imposed and is being relaxed from time to time. Who is suffering now? All the general students and general people are suffering most. From now on the nation must think the consequence and future aftermath before jumping into actions thoughtlessly without judging the merits and demerits of an incident.
The author is currently serving the Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited and founder of Association of English Learners, DU. May be reached at [email protected]