‘Adverse relation’ prevails between state and people

An “adverse relation” between the state of Bangladesh and people still prevails, which needs to change, said Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury yesterday.

Speaking at a discussion organised by Academic Press and Publishers Library and Mizanur Rahman Shelley Parishad, the eminent educationist said, “An adverse relation has also been created between the state and university.”

The event was held at Jatiya Press Club commemorating Shelley -- an academic and writer who passed away in August. Shelley had also served as a technocrat minister in 1990 in the cabinet of HM Ershad.

“The state has re-emerged as a smaller one from a bigger one. However, its internal characteristics and machineries remained the same,” Prof Serajul added, referring to the independence from Pakistan and emergence as Bangladesh.

He said people in erstwhile Pakistan were conscious about the repressive nature of the state. Back then, the state was powerful and it applied power to materlise its agendas using many brilliant persons, he said, adding that Shelley was “a sufferer of state power”.

Recalling historic events of the late 1960s, he said people had to go to war to be liberated from a repressive state. Back then, there were also symptoms that the state would indulge in genocide.

“It’s our misfortune that many of our brilliant minds were defeated to state powers,” he further said.

Former adviser to a caretaker government Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury said Shelley was a successful and enlightened person.

Shelley was a man of wit and charm, said former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury.