Photo : Messenger
A complex situation is unfolding at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) concerning the issue of student politics. After the High Court stayed the notification banning student politics, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) feels their demands are gaining support. Welcoming the High Court (HC) judgment, the student wing of the ruling party now aims to take organisational steps.
However, the student body wants to prioritise the opinions of general students. On the other hand, the general students held a press conference on the campus on Tuesday, once again demanding a student politics-free campus from the Prime Minister.
It is known that on the night of October 6, 2019, Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, was brutally killed at the BUET campus. This incident caused an uproar at home and abroad. Later, amidst a widespread student movement, the BUET administration issued a notification banning student politics on the campus. The campus remained calm since then.
However, suddenly on the night of March 28 this year around 2 am, allegations surfaced that BCL leaders were entering the campus. Students then launched a movement with 6 demands, including action against those involved in that incident. They boycotted classes and exams. Later, BCL also started a movement demanding the withdrawal of the ban on student politics. Student politics became vibrant again.
The issue then went to the higher court of the country. On Monday, the High Court stayed BUET authorities' 2019 notification banning student politics on the campus. At the same time, the court issued a rule asking why the decision to ban student politics should not be declared illegal. Lawyers said there is no legal barrier now to student politics at BUET following this order.
After this HC verdict, BCL sees a ray of hope. Shekh Wali Asif Inan, general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League, told The Daily Messenger that they will start working as per how student politics should be run according to their constitution. “The process of forming a committee here will start very soon," he said.
He also said the opportunity to run constitutional and disciplined student politics at BUET has been created again. “We are very respectful of the High Court decision. Not everyone in an institution will do politics. Someone will if he/she likes it, and if not, he/she will not be involved in politics – which is normal,” he added.
However, while BCL is considering forming a committee at BUET, what does the other major student organisation, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, think? The Daily Messenger contacted its central general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir in this regard. He said the current situation of BUET students is the result of all misdeeds of BCL. “It would be wrong to blame general student politics for this," he said.
He also mentioned that general students of BUET will decide whether there will be student politics on the campus. “We have seen that a Hindu student was even called a Shibir member during the movement of general students at BUET. BCL has been committing such acts,” he added. However, he did not want to comment on the court verdict.
On the other hand, the general protesting students held a press conference on the campus again on Tuesday. They have given a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina there. In this, they have sought the PM's intervention to build a student politics-free campus. They said even without student politics, BUET is always sincere about all national events.
Messenger/Disha
