Editorial
Arresting campus unrest
PM's warning must not go unheeded
THE recent warning from the PM to trouble mongers in the educational institutions is not for the first time that she has been constrained to articulate nor was her directive to the concerned agencies to take stringent actions against those spreading unrest in the educational institutions, particularly in the public universities.
The latest call from the PM to make the campus environment conducive to learning came during her meeting with the office bearers of the alumni association of Dhaka University. We take particular note of the fact that the PM has reiterated her resolve not to spare even those belonging to her party.
There is no doubt that the campus atmosphere remains far from ideal. The fact that VCs of the public universities have sought personal protection in view of the situation obtaining on the campuses, as reported in one newspaper, is an endorsement of the prevailing situation.
While we recognize the sincere intention of the PM to restore the image of the public universities, Dhaka University in particular, by freeing these of the bad elements, we cannot but be disappointed at the fact that her directives have not been fully implemented. If, as she says, the law enforcing agencies have been asked to arrest the trouble makers, we are yet to see that happening on ground, and very selectively if at all, where the students belonging to the ruling party wing have been allowed the long rope while others have been dealt with very severely, as we witnessed happen in Chittagong University recently where even the female students were not spared the crude batons of the policemen.
We fully endorse the views of the PM that it requires everyone's effort to ensure harmonious atmosphere on the campus. But the fact is that much of the unrest on the campuses that we have witnessed since the assumption of office by the Grand Alliance led by the AL, have been the doings of the Chattra League (CL). And in spite of many threats of actions against it, the situation has gone from bad to worse. Regrettably, neither the government nor the Awami League has been able to rein in its student wing.
What is remarkable is that campus violence has in many cases involved different faction of the CL vying for power and control of the turf. And in some cases, reportedly, the CL had gone into action alongside the police against its opponents. There cannot be a more chilling evidence of its wayward behaviour than CL cadres going after people protesting power outage in one instance.
More than mere words are needed to arrest the unrest on the campus. We hope that action will be taken by the agencies concerned to implement the PM's directive immediately.
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