Politics of ragging-bullying, grabbing-trading, murder-terrorism won't take place in BUET: BCL

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has said the student politics will resume in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) following an order by the High Court.

But it needs to be thought out what type of student politics that would be.

The student politics must not be the politics of suspension of class and exams, session jam, ragging and bullying, occupying and trading of seats and murder and terrorism.

The student politics must be modern, time-befitting, diverse, creative and knowledge, logic and information based, said the leaders of BCL, student wing of governing Bangladesh Awami League.

Chhatra League disclosed this at an emergency press conference at Madhur Canteen in Dhaka University on Tuesday afternoon.

The BCL organised the press conference to talk on the evolving situation in BUET and to establish systematic, modern, smart and policy-based politics in a bid to face the challenge of the 21st century.

The High Court on Monday postponed 'the urgent circular' banning political activities issued by the BUET authorities four years ago.

Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice KM Zahid on Monday passed the order after hearing a writ petition.

The BUET authorities issued this circular on 11 October 2019 after its student Abrar Fahad had been beaten to death.

BUET student Imtiaz Hossain filed the writ over the legality of it. Imtiaz is a student of civil engineering department and also a member of the central committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League.

Abrar Fahad was beaten to death on 6 October 2019. In a case filed over the incident, 20 people have been sentenced to death and five given life terms. The convicts are leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League.

BCL central president Saddam Hossain read out the written statement at the press conference.

He said the BCL played a responsible role after the tragic death of BUET student Abrar Fahad in 2019 and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ensured justice. Abrar's family was supported. But the BCL neither did support in the past the decision the BUET administration took in connection with the Abrar Fahad incident, nor does it now.

Bangladesh Chhatra League repeatedly tried to say neither the constitution nor the BUET law gives legality to ban student politics, he added.

In the written statement, it was claimed that the ban on the student politics in BUET has crossed five years. During this period, in the name of a ban on student politics, religious extremism has taken its roots. Independence Day and Victory Day have been humiliated. Obstacles have been created to remember the father of the nation. Simultaneously, the movement of a student, his movement, freedom of association and right to organisation have been curbed.

Saddam Hossain announced a four-point programme to establish systematic politics in BUET.

The programmes are: organising a sit-in at BUET Shaheed Minar demanding reinstatement of Imtiaz Hossain's seat at the residential hall, seeking opinions and holding discussions with BUET students to determine an action plan for establishing "modern, smart and policy-based systematic student politics" on the campus, organising seminars and cultural festivals to liberate BUET from "communal, radical, militant groups", and negotiating with the administration regarding the demand for student union elections at the institution.

In reply to a question, Saddam Hossain said after discussing with the students a committee of Chhatra League will be formed on a specific proposal.

He stressed on specialised student politics at a specialised university.