BANGLADESH Chhatra League activists on Sunday assaulted a group of teachers of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) who were protesting the Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Aminul Haque’s reported corruption and irregularities. The varsity teachers are divided mainly into two camps – one faction known as Forum of Teachers Inspired by the Spirits of Liberation War and guided by pro-left Prof Zafar Iqbal is calling for VC’s resignation and the other faction having the ruling party’s support is protecting the VC from his rivals’ pressure to resign. The confrontation is continuing from April this year when most classes are remaining shut and anti VC teachers are abstaining from work to achieve their goals.
The ruling party backed Bangladesh Chhatra League activists’ attack on the anti-VC teachers as they attempted to march to his office to lay siege on, it was shocking and condemned by people at all levels. They physically manhandled some teachers and chased them in utter indignity and shame on the entire varsity community. But what appears is that the fight to remove the VC has its roots in local ruling party politics as against the left parties’ politics supported by left student groups. The University is remaining closed in most of the time since April 12 and meanwhile the Education Minister has also intervened to broker a deal. But the government is still supporting the VC and the anti-VC faction will not stop short of his resignation. Bangladesh Chhatra League activists appear to be giving physical protection to the VC making the campus a battleground on many occasions as it appeared on Sunday last.
The polarization has become so intense that when the Chhatra League activists attacked the teachers of the other factions some teachers belonging to VC camp were standing at a distance but did not come up to rescue them or stop the ruling party student activists from attacking on the teachers. The anti-VC faction is blaming the VC for recruiting his relatives as varsity staff, misuse of public funds taking expensive foreign trips. He is also blamed for discriminating against some of his colleagues.
As it appears vandalism and unruly behaviour of Bangladesh Chhatra League in SUST campus and particularly against the teachers has dismayed the nation as elsewhere they do it now throughout the country. But what is noticeable is that since it has its root in politics and mainly between the two factions of the ruling coalition are involved, the government must resolve it politically through discussion.
The varsity can’t be held hostage disrupting the classes and timely end to academic sessions. Similar crisis had hit other public varsities in the recent past and was resolved. This must be also resolved soon without allowing the spread of further violence in the campus.
