Campus clashes
To keep my promise to my two children I took them to Jahangirnagar University on Jan 16 to show them winter birds. Getting down from the bus we took a rickshaw. “This is the university campus where you will study,” I told my children, showing them the large campus.
They looked around with great interest! My three-year old daughter said she too wanted such a campus to study in. However, within minutes of our ride on the rickshaw we heard people shouting. The first impression was that there might be a football match going on!
“These 'dhawa-paltadhawa' among two groups of students have been going on for the last three days,” our rickshaw puller said.
Then it was my turn to explain to my children what these clashes among students were and why they do so! All their questions were centred on why such an unsafe place would be their educational institution?
“We will not be hurt,” the rickshaw puller assured! My wife got angry with me - why such a “foolish step” I have taken to take my children there! We stopped by the lake and found a small number of birds there. Even the chirping of the birds could not submerge the din of the ongoing clash among the students. From the other side of the lake we got glimpses of the chase! We didn't risk staying there any longer and left. Before that, my heart was filled with hope as three students of the university came up with their small calendar to sell to raise money for their cultural event. Their mild approach impressed me!
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It is a common phenomenon to see the fighting over taking of possession of different halls of public universities by the student wing of the ruling party. It is like "Char Dakhol." With sticks and other arms the so-called students attack their "enemies" to drive them out of the halls. These sights are visible after every transfer of power.
Actually, these acts are related not only to politics, but also to economics, as the halls bigwigs can earn huge amount of money investing their power. The ruling party appoints their supporters as the VCs and other important posts. I suggest that, as the universities are the highest seat of learning, all posts including the VCs should be filled in with the non-partisan teachers so that all students can get unbiased behaviour from them.
The existing regulation should be reframed to cut the power of the ruling party to recruit their followers. We want a good environment for learningwe do not anymore want violence, killing, hijacking, tendering in the universities.
Harun-or-Rashid, Sobhanbag, Dhaka
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