PARTISAN Proctoral Bodies of the public universities especially in the recent incidents of violence in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) and Islamic University (IU), Kushtia have again failed to prove their ability (as well as efficiency) in maintaining the law and order situation of the campuses. Sust and IU authorities closed the universities sine die after two separate incidents — one by the Sust BCL infights and in another, the death of an IU student in a bus accident. Two authorities, in similar patterns, asked students to vacate dormitories in just a few hours after the incidents. And with that the authorities thought they did the best to ‘safeguard’ the students leaving thousands of guardians deeply anxious. Sloppy security arrangements and session jams have made the thousands of students and guardians scared of the ultimate outcome of such horrendousness.
An activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League was killed and nine others were injured on November 20 when two factions of the pro-ruling Awami League student body locked in a gun battle at Sust in Sylhet. The Sust authorities closed the university sine die and asked its students to vacate dormitories by 4:00pm. The female students were asked to vacate the halls by next morning. In the process, boys were looted, and the girls were physically assaulted, alleged victims.
Aggrieved by the death of a fellow student in a road crash, students of Islamic University in Kushtia vandalised and torched a good number of vehicles on 30 November. IU authorities closed the university for an indefinite period fearing further vandalism. The students were asked to vacate their dormitories by 6:30pm that day. Students were in fear of vacating halls amid reports of attacks. Most of the students were not able to leave the halls because of the transport crisis and apprehension of further attacks. The university had taken no steps to ensure the students’ safe return to their homes. Consequently, the students were mugged and lost valuables like laptops and mobiles.
These two incidents have just been exemplified to showcase the behaviour of the authorities of almost all public universities. Dhaka, Jahangir Nagar, Jagannath, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Comilla, no university is free from the pollution of heinous political divisions. Let alone the young minds, teachers are also seen engaged in party politics distorting their image, but proud of being the nearest and dearest ones of the people in the power corridors. Now the teachers desire to be close to the ruling authority, not the students. Thus, students are left to uncertainty only due to the power hungry attitude of the teachers willing to hold posts like VC, Pro-VC, Proctor, Provost and so on.
However, we share the concern of the unfortunate guardians and parents who have to pass always in worry about their wards — whether they will back alive, or they will be such victims of a political game. Whether their academic session will end in a mess is the big question still unanswered. The university authorities must have the answers to these simple questions.
