DESPITE virtual nonexistence of any rival student group on the public university campuses across the country, it is the ruling party’s youth wing Chhatra League which is seen active in infightings, and killing themselves. After reassumtion of power with supports from BCL cadres in the January 5 voter-less elections by Awami League, the student group has fueled violence in most public universities and colleges to establish their ‘reign of terror’. The government’s reluctance to pull back the BCL cadres from violence, killings, rapes, arsons, mugging, kidnapping, abducting and many more crimes has encouraged the BCL men to commit crimes anew. By remaining indifferent to BCL misdemeanor, the ruling elites not only ruined the rule of law but also undermined the spirit of liberation.
The killing of Taposh in Chittagong University on Sunday indicates that even the Prime Minister’s warning is not enough to discipline the unruly activists who are bent on wreaking havoc on campuses, jeopardising students’ lives and hampering normal educational activities, in their turf wars. Over the years, political clashes and factional feuds at the universities killed many, seriously hampering academic atmosphere, and these are going unabated with tacit approval of the AL high command. However, some causal calls to refrain from such self-killing acts are also made for public consumption.
Newspapers said the Chittagong University clash was triggered while some BCL men belonging to Varsity Express group, allegedly backed by the administration, hurled abuse and threw brick chips at the activists of Choose Friends with Care in front of Shah Amanat Hall on Sunday. Taposh was shot in his chest while he was standing on the second-floor balcony of a dormitory. Police and proctorial body of the university were silent onlookers when the armed BCL men started firing which led to Taposh being killed.
Earlier on November 20, BCL infightings killed Sumon Roy at Shahjalal University in Sylhet. In May a businessman was killed during the gunfight between two BCL factions of Victoria Government College in Comilla. In the first week of November, hundreds of students of Chittagong University could not attend classes and examinations due to factional clashes of BCL. In the case of Chittagong University, the varsity administration is actively engaged in fueling factional clashes that should be addressed immediately.
Aiming at containing violence, a powerful committee should be formed to investigate into the internal system and dynamism that influence BCL activists to become criminals. The culture of impunity should be stopped and rule of law has to be enforced to prevent BCL which has by now emerged as a monster. Awami League can no longer ignore the threat of BCL activists. Eventually, the responsibilities to contain them rest with AL leadership.
