Former and present student leaders from different political organisations have rejected the Dhaka University authorities鈥� decision to ban all political activities by students, teachers and employees on the campus.
Suggesting student politics to be freed from criminalisaiton, they said that such a decision could not be an acceptable solution to the present crisis the students and teachers were presently facing on the campus following the fall of the autocratic regime of Awami League.
They wanted the university authorities should reconsider their decision to establish a congenial atmosphere for all and therefore allow students and teachers to contribute to developing a democratic society.
Dhaka University authorities on Thursday decided to prohibit all political activities by students, teachers, officials, and employees on the university campus until further notice. The decision was made in an emergency syndicate meeting held at the vice-chancellor鈥檚 lounge in the administrative building.
Former president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Mujahidul Islam Selim, told 抖阴精品 on Friday that the decision of Dhaka University authorities to impose a ban on student politics on the campus would not be acceptable.
鈥楨arlier, in our country, the autocratic rulers also imposed such bans on student politics but students did not obey the ban, and the students played prominent roles in all the movements in 1952, 1969, and also in the liberation war in 1971,鈥� Selim said.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh advisory council member Khalequzzaman called on the Dhaka University authorities to reconsider the decision, saying that it was contrary to the rights of the students.
The university authorities should encourage student politics to create a smooth atmosphere on the campus for the continuation of studies of the students, Khalequzzaman said.
Student politics should be free from criminalisation and work for the implementation of the rights of the students, he suggested.
He condemned the recent incidents of lynching at Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University and called on the authorities to take stern action against the killers.
Moazzem Hossain Alal, a former student leader and advisory council member to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, said that banning student politics on the Dhaka University campus was not the solution, but student politics should remain on the campus in a moderate form for the welfare of the students.
鈥榃e have already said that we will introduce fair student politics on the DU campus if BNP comes to power,鈥� Alal added.
Ganesh Chandra Roy Sahos, the president of the Dhaka University unit of Chhatra Dal, described the decision of the university syndicate, the policymaking forum of the country鈥檚 highest educational institution, as 鈥榮trange鈥�.
He said that the practice of doing politics at all levels was a constitutional and international right, and added that it was surprising that the decision was made without taking the matter into account.
He also mentioned that suppressing the student politics on the campus appeared to be a part of a larger fascist conspiracy aimed at depoliticizing and undermining the state.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki also opposed the decision to impose ban on student politics on the Dhaka University campus saying that it was not the solution to the crisis among the students.
鈥榃e want student politics that would work for resolving crisis of the students and continue educational atmosphere on the campuses,鈥� Saki said.
鈥榃e want an end to 鈥淕ono room culture鈥� in the halls of DU and students should not be used as the 鈥渇orces鈥� of the ruling party,鈥� Saki said.
Jahangirnagar University鈥檚 former professor and Democratic Rights Committee leader Anu Muhammad said that the Dhaka University authorities were moving in the wrong way by banning student politics on the campus.
Salman Siddiqui, president of the Socialist Student Front, said that banning student politics and curbing the right to rally went against the aspirations of a student uprising and infringed on freedom of expression.
He argued that restricting student organisations was undemocratic and authoritarian, leading to an environment that stifles debate and dialogue, which are essential for a democratic society.
Mashiur Rahman Khan Richard, president of the Students鈥� Federation of Bangladesh, criticised the syndicate members and alleged that they had connections with the previous fascist governments and continued to run the university in a manner that would deprive students of their democratic rights.
He emphasized the need for students鈥� unity to counter the culture of repression and called for reforms in student politics to ensure freedom of expression, the right to organize, and democratic coexistence on the campus.
Jabir Ahmed Jubel, general secretary of the Revolutionary Student Unity, noted that student organisations had been unable to operate under their official names since the last student uprising, and the university had witnessed mob violence under the guise of non-political student groups.
He pointed out that the recent violent incidents, such as a student鈥檚 death, highlighted the university administration鈥檚 failure to manage the situation and that banning student politics was an attempt to evade responsibility.
Rageeb Nayeem, the president of the Bangladesh Students鈥� Union, argued that the right to organised politics was crucial, especially in times of political crisis.
He questioned the motives behind the syndicate鈥檚 decision, suspecting it to be part of a larger authoritarian agenda led by the government.
He also said that the syndicate had no moral right to ban student politics, as it had historically stood against those who challenged the dominance of the ruling student organisation.
Attempts to contact the president of Bangladesh Chhatra League and several other senior leaders for their reaction to the decision to ban student politics at Dhaka University were unsuccessful. Their phones were either switched off or not answered.
