8 Rajshahi Institutions Remain Shut

Deadlock may drag on as AL, Jamaat stick to stances

18 March 2009, 18:00 PM

Anwar Ali, Rajshahi

No sign is yet in sight to end of the deadlock at higher educational institutions in Rajshahi city following their closure since March 13 student violence as opponent groups belonging to ruling Awami League (AL) and Jamaat-e-Islami are rigid on their stances. As eight institutions including RU, Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi College and Rajshahi New Government Degree College have remained closed, around 50,000 students are facing problems including an impending session jam. Terming Jamaat-Shibir as a 'violence-based party', local AL leaders ruled out any consensus with it while local Jamaat leaders demanded justice for the killing of RU unit Islami Chhtra Shibir general secretary Sharifuzzaman Nomani before sitting for any dialogue. “Reopening the institutions is not possible without a reshuffle in the local police administration. They nakedly sided with Shibir men to beat up the BCL activists at Rajshahi Medical College and the incident aggravated the situation,” said Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, also an AL leader. “I talked with government high-ups about replacing a few police officials with efficient ones,” he said. “Jamaat-Shibir is a violence-based party. Yet we reached a consensus with them for the sake of education. But they breached it. They beat up our student leaders mercilessly. Now, no more consensuses with them,” said Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, acting general secretary of Rajshahi city AL. When contacted, Rajshahi city Jamaat Amir Ataur Rahman said, “Jamaat will not sit for negotiation until the killers of Nomani are arrested and punished. We had a consensus for peace, but Awami League and its student front engaged in bloodshed for capturing halls.” City BCL General Secretary Zedu Sarker, on the other hand, said, “It was Shibir that took the lead in violence. They held processions and meetings at halls and campuses and did provocative acts despite consensus to postpone such activities.” Talking to The Daily Star, RU Vice Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan said, “The situation is out of our control. We are now in wait for political leaders to act.” Several teachers said Jamaat and Shibir activists, who have been maintaining supremacy on different campuses in Rajshahi for over one and a half decades, set their men at different levels including administration and halls. After the present government assumed power, BCL activists, who were almost cornered on the campuses, tried to restore their position, they said. In absence of elections in students' unions for long, violence has become a means for establishing supremacy among student groups, said Prof ANM Saleh. Hafijur Rahman, additional commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, denied allegations against the police about the recent violence. Meanwhile, a large number of small traders in the city are suffering losses as thousands of students, who comprise a major portion of their customers, left the city following closure of the institutions. The rickshaw pullers are one of the worst sufferers as number of their passengers declined.