Editorial Desk :
A number of civil society members and parents of several Dhaka University students submitted a memorandum on Tuesday to the DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman criticising him for his alleged support to the controversial activities of Chhatra League. They also accused the VC of supporting the attackers of DUCSU Vice President Nurul Haque Nur on Sunday and alleged that the university administration did not take any measure to quell the situation. In response, the VC assured them that legal action would be taken against the perpetrators.
How the guardians and others who met the DU VC took the assurance of legal action is not known to us. The whole nation knows how politicised the police are as exposed in the general election. Exploitation of the legal system is the major way to make the police most powerful.
Arrests are no assurance that real culprits to get caught or the real guilty ones will be punished. Those who indulge in politicised crimes they are assured safety first. That is why we all should be anxious for our children’s future and do everything to protect the autonomy of the public universities. The universities must be protected by the VCs from becoming the playgrounds for politicised criminals to produce more criminals.
We congratulate the guardians and civil society members who come forward to hold the DU VC responsible for helping to occur the tragic incidents. There are open threats from the attackers that they would not spare VP Nur for his leadership in anti-quota movement. The intention of the ruffians armed with iron rods and sharp weapons was clearly to carry out attacks on their opponents in the campus. Earlier threats of killing were issued to VP Nur. We are afraid of possible recurrence of killing episode while already a meritorious student was killed by the ruling party’s student wing at the BUET.
Luckily Nur is still alive. Some other students were also seriously injured and still undergoing treatment. It is said that conditions of some students are critical and they are needed to be kept in the ICU. There is reason to be suspicious about pressure on doctors not to give the whole picture. The student leaders yesterday expressed their anxiety for not receiving proper treatment.
The Moncho claims to be comprised of children of Freedom Fighters but in reality its leaders like Aminul Islam Bulbul who is the president and Al Mamun who is the general secretary of the Moncho’s central unit are both ex-BCL men. Bulbul is a former organising secretary of Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall BCL. Al Mamun is still the deputy programme and planning affairs secretary of the BCL central unit.
So every detail was well-prepared and well-planned. Here, the VC’s assurance about legal action sounds silly and deceptive. After making lives of the general students miserable and in particular that of VP Nur totally unsafe on the campus, the VC as protector of students has proved himself unfit beyond any doubt.
All universities enjoy full autonomy. No police can enter the university premises unless the VC wants them to be there. Even police were also helpless to rush to the spot to prevent the murderous activities at DU on that day.
One thing is undeniable and that is-the present DU VC is unforgivably incompetent to give his students safety and security that is so badly needed. He is certainly too weak and too irresponsible, if not to be held responsible for anything else. If he has any conscience he should resign without delay. We do not blame the proctor alone while VC is the person in charge.
We also do not say the proctor is not guilty deserving removal. But the umbrella of protection for students is held by the VCs and the proctors are part of their administrations.
So far we are concerned we do not want to see the hands of the government in the crimes committed against the students to create panic among the general students for political dissent. But we shall hold the DU VC absolutely responsible for the vandalism so freely thrashed out on the sacred campus.
We cannot accept that fear of government should be an excuse for a VC to shun his vast responsibility to the students and to higher education. Appeasing the government cannot be the most important thing to a VC to hold his job. He must have behaved like the father of the students under his care.
We are surprised and ashamed that neither the BUET VC nor the DU VC has decided on their own to take the blame of the inhuman atrocities on their students and leave their posts voluntarily.
A number of civil society members and parents of several Dhaka University students submitted a memorandum on Tuesday to the DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman criticising him for his alleged support to the controversial activities of Chhatra League. They also accused the VC of supporting the attackers of DUCSU Vice President Nurul Haque Nur on Sunday and alleged that the university administration did not take any measure to quell the situation. In response, the VC assured them that legal action would be taken against the perpetrators.
How the guardians and others who met the DU VC took the assurance of legal action is not known to us. The whole nation knows how politicised the police are as exposed in the general election. Exploitation of the legal system is the major way to make the police most powerful.
Arrests are no assurance that real culprits to get caught or the real guilty ones will be punished. Those who indulge in politicised crimes they are assured safety first. That is why we all should be anxious for our children’s future and do everything to protect the autonomy of the public universities. The universities must be protected by the VCs from becoming the playgrounds for politicised criminals to produce more criminals.
We congratulate the guardians and civil society members who come forward to hold the DU VC responsible for helping to occur the tragic incidents. There are open threats from the attackers that they would not spare VP Nur for his leadership in anti-quota movement. The intention of the ruffians armed with iron rods and sharp weapons was clearly to carry out attacks on their opponents in the campus. Earlier threats of killing were issued to VP Nur. We are afraid of possible recurrence of killing episode while already a meritorious student was killed by the ruling party’s student wing at the BUET.
Luckily Nur is still alive. Some other students were also seriously injured and still undergoing treatment. It is said that conditions of some students are critical and they are needed to be kept in the ICU. There is reason to be suspicious about pressure on doctors not to give the whole picture. The student leaders yesterday expressed their anxiety for not receiving proper treatment.
The Moncho claims to be comprised of children of Freedom Fighters but in reality its leaders like Aminul Islam Bulbul who is the president and Al Mamun who is the general secretary of the Moncho’s central unit are both ex-BCL men. Bulbul is a former organising secretary of Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall BCL. Al Mamun is still the deputy programme and planning affairs secretary of the BCL central unit.
So every detail was well-prepared and well-planned. Here, the VC’s assurance about legal action sounds silly and deceptive. After making lives of the general students miserable and in particular that of VP Nur totally unsafe on the campus, the VC as protector of students has proved himself unfit beyond any doubt.
All universities enjoy full autonomy. No police can enter the university premises unless the VC wants them to be there. Even police were also helpless to rush to the spot to prevent the murderous activities at DU on that day.
One thing is undeniable and that is-the present DU VC is unforgivably incompetent to give his students safety and security that is so badly needed. He is certainly too weak and too irresponsible, if not to be held responsible for anything else. If he has any conscience he should resign without delay. We do not blame the proctor alone while VC is the person in charge.
We also do not say the proctor is not guilty deserving removal. But the umbrella of protection for students is held by the VCs and the proctors are part of their administrations.
So far we are concerned we do not want to see the hands of the government in the crimes committed against the students to create panic among the general students for political dissent. But we shall hold the DU VC absolutely responsible for the vandalism so freely thrashed out on the sacred campus.
We cannot accept that fear of government should be an excuse for a VC to shun his vast responsibility to the students and to higher education. Appeasing the government cannot be the most important thing to a VC to hold his job. He must have behaved like the father of the students under his care.
We are surprised and ashamed that neither the BUET VC nor the DU VC has decided on their own to take the blame of the inhuman atrocities on their students and leave their posts voluntarily.
