Staff Reporter :
Speakers at a discussion on Sunday urged the teachers and the guardians to increase their surveillance on the students apparently to prevent them from getting involved in militant activities.
At the same time, the top officials of the law enforcing agencies sought cooperation from them in their fight to curb militancy.
The call was made at a discussion between the government and the Vice-Chancellors, owners and teachers of private universities titled “Public Safety and Law and Order” in the city’s Krishibid Institution Auditorium organised by the Home Ministry.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan presided over at the programme while Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid was the chief guest.
The speakers also underscored the importance of national unity and social resistance to root out the militancy from the country. Militancy is a curse for the nation. It is now national problem. The national unity and the combined effort only can eradicate militancy, they said.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said, private universities have to work to build up a social resistance against the threat of militancy in the country. “Social resistance is a must to keep our children safe from being involved in the militancy,” the minister said.
Nurul Islam Nahid urged teachers to nurture morality, humanity and values among the students. “You (teachers) have to supervise your students.” Some so-called teachers of the private universities are suspects to have link with militant activities. They will be identified and taken to book”, he said.
“Steps will be taken to save the educational institutions from terrorism and already some steps have been taken in this regard,” the minister said. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan urged derailed youths involved in militant activities to shun the path of militancy. “I urge you to come back as we know your whereabouts. We don’t want to be harsh with you… we just want you to come back. If you think you willl hinder the development pace of the country and tarnish its image across the world by killing one or two people then it’s wrong,” the Home Minister said.
He also urged all to stand against militancy. “We don’t want our children to get derailed. We want them to get back.” The Home Minister has claimed that police and his ministry had all the information of the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks beforehand.
“My two children studied in private university. They informed me that the militant groups continued their activities and held meeting on the university campus almost everyday. I did not believe their information that time. Now I am observing the real scenario of the campuses of some private universities,” the minister said.
Asaduzzaman Khan said that the government had intelligence report that “something might happen in Gulshan” and had made “all kinds of preparations for it.”
“We know who is behind this and who supported them,” he further claimed. The Home Minister claimed that police could reach the spot of Gulshan attack on July 1 within minutes because of their “preparation.” He also praised the law enforcing agencies for their success in eliminating militant incidents like the Gulshan terror and Sholakia terror attack. “The country’s people do not want militancy in this land. They hate terrorism and militancy. The parents of militants did not receive the body of their sons. I believe that parents do not desire that their children will be militant. That is why it is high time to make ensure national unity to root out the militancy from the country,” the minister said.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Emajuddin Ahmed condemned the recent terror attack in the country and said it is not acceptable in independent country. “We cannot tolerate terrorist activities by some students resulting in the sufferings of the 17 crore people.” He observed that the spread of healthy cultural activities have been disrupted in almost all the higher educational institutions.
He also put emphasis on students’ council election although he himself failed to hold Dhaka University Central Students’ Unuion (DUCSU) election.
Chairman of University Grants Commission Professor Abdul Manna said, militancy is a social problem as well as state problem. Only national unity can resist the militancy and the terrorism only.
Mentioning the problem in the private universities he said the private universities are facing image crisis. It is their duty to restore the image in the interest of the universities as well as the country, he said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) A K M Shahidul Hoque said the family members are responsible for the children’ activities. The teachers also cannot ignore their responsibility. They have to increase their surveillance on the students.
“We are on zero tolerance to militancy. We will root out their activities from the country with the help of people. We believe that everyone will cooperate with the law enforcing agencies,” the IGP said.
Vice-Chancellor of North South University Professor Atiqul Islam admitted that there were some militants in the university. He also said that they took all the measurers to remove them from the university campus. “I stayed in Australia for 40 years. I never thought that the students would involve in militancy in Bangladesh. When I assumed it I took initiative to eradicate. I ordered to remove all the controversial books from the university library,” the VC said.
Vice-Chancellor of World University Professor Abdul Mannan Chowdhury said, there is no militancy in his university campus.
“The teachers of the World University always teach the students about the history of Liberation War. They ask the students to imbue the ideology of the Liberation War. The teachers also deliver their speech to create awareness among the students about militancy,” Professor Mannan Chowdhury said.
Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benazir Ahmed said, the country is passing a transitional period. National unity is a must to root out the existing crisis.
He warned the militant groups that the law enforcing agencies would eradicate the militancy from the country.
“Do not play with monster. You will be vanished. We will search each inch land and place. We will continue it until the militancy vanishes,” Benazir Ahmed warned the militants.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah said the militancy is the problem of society, both at national and global level.
“The members of law enforcing agencies are working endangering their lives. But it is not possible to eradicate militancy for a certain group. Every one will have to come under an umbrella with high patriotism. That is why social resistance is the demand of time and we have to create awareness among the people together,” the DMP commissioner said.
Education Secretary Sohrab Hossain, President of Private University Owners’ Association Sheikh Kabir Hossain, Member of Board of Trustees of Stamford University Enamul Hoque Shameem, among other, spoke at the function.
