The Awami League [AL] high command is annoyed with the recent incidents of violence by the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League [BCL] in different parts of the country.
Especially, the Sunday’s gun-attack by BCL cadres on general students of Rajshahi University has created an embarrassing situation for the government as the violence took place just within a month it was sworn in power.
Party sources said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has
taken the incident seriously and asked the party leaders to take stern action against those responsible for it.
In this backdrop, the ruling party high-ups have taken decision to restore the ‘lost image of its student wing’ by conducting a cleansing drive in BCL. “There will be a cleansing drive soon against the culprits. The infiltrators will be expelled from the party. There is no room for culprits in the AL or its front organizations,” said Communication Minister Obaidul Quader.
Meanwhile, there is a widespread allegation that the authorities have not taken any significant action so far against persons responsible for over a dozen of violent incidents, including gun battle, in different public places in the recent days. Even, the BCL activists involved in shooting at RU campus still not arrested though their photographs and TV footage are available in the media.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said: “I’m shocked, stunned and angry about RU incident…The government will take stern action who will be found involved in the incident.”
“We have directed the law enforcing agencies to nab the culprits. We will take action against those who will be found guilty in the investigation. The government won’t spare anybody whoever he may be,” said state minister for home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal expressing annoyance over the incident. In the latest incident on Monday, at least five students of Bangladesh University of Textiles were injured in a factional clash in the presence of Communications Minister Obaidul Quader during AL’s rally in Sylhet. Former ministers Dipu Moni who is joint general secretary of AL and Abdul Matin Khasru were also present. Two groups of BCL locked in clashes in presence of Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain at Circuit House premises in Chittagong just a day after the new minister took oath.
They also set ablaze some vehicles during the clash.
On January 24, at least three BCL activists were injured in a fight between two rival groups over control of tender for a Public Health Engineering Department work in Barisal, just 10 days ago.
On January 30, Mehedi Hasan, president of Salimullah Muslim Hall unit of Dhaka University clashed with the employees of a bar in the city. Its general secretary, Nizamul Islam Didar, was also involved with the incident.
In a deadly incident, Rakib Al Faruk, a fourth year student of Psychology department, was killed as two groups of BCL men engaged in internal fight at Dhaka College on November 30.
