GOVT. JOB QUOTA REFORMISTS ATTACKED
Apolitical students, who have been pressing for their demand for reforms in existing quota system in government jobs, were attacked by ruling party’s student cadres and activists several times for four consecutive days last week on the Dhaka University (DU) campus area as well as some other public varsities across the country. The incidents took place when the protesters were about to hold a press briefing to announce their next course of action as three months have passed since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared removal of the quota system.
Because of their wanton disregard for law, which is attributable to impunity, atrocious activities on campuses of all the public varsities and colleges in this Republic by some violent members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL)—the student wing of the ruling party Awami League—they are the most despised and much dreaded group at present. No student is allowed board and lodging in the public varsity/college dormitories unless and until s/he declares allegiance to the BCL leaders who rule the roost, absolutely.
Those challenging their boisterous bravado and command are invariably manhandled and beaten up. The victims have no scope to complain against the perpetrators as the heads of the institutions will not utter a word against the malefactors.
Some pro-quota leaders were physically assaulted and —-women students were not spared. Family members of Nur, one of the injured leaders of quota reform movement, alleged that authorities of the Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital forcibly released him in the wee hours. The leaders and activists of quota reform movement fear arrest and enforced disappearance in the face of repeated attacks by the ruling party’s student cadres and following arrest of their leaders.
On duty police personnel were seen leaving the spot just before the attack on the quota reform movement activists allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League members at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka. When asked reason for their leaving by the journalists who were present at that time, they said that they would let them know later.
Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman confirmed that eight students had been arrested between Saturday and Tuesday. What is being done is sheer fascism poles apart from Damocracy for which millions of Bangladeshis made supreme sacrifice by embracing martyrdom.
The government has formed a seven-member committee led by the cabinet secretary to make recommendations about quota reforms. Formed on Monday night, the committee is likely to meet on 8 July for the first time. The delay is inordinate, to say the least.
Cadres of the Bangladesh Chhatra League have earned the dubious distinction owing to involvement of some of them in frequent wrangle, extortion, violent crimes like rape, manslaughter and what have you since long. Even during the incumbency of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was then Prime Minister, in internecine fratricide over establishing supremacy one faction of the BCL gunned down seven members of the same party on 4 April 1974 in the Surja Sen Hall dormitory on the Dhaka University (DU) campus for the first time in the varsity’s history.
What is more, with Sheikh Hasina herself as the chief guest at the TSC in DU at the founding anniversary of the BCL on 9 January 1992, BCL activist Moniruzzaman Badal was shot dead. Afterwards until recent times some 65 murders have happened on public university and college campuses across the country.
Given that usually members of the proctorial team or police are entrusted with maintaining campus security, but the current administration seems to be depending more on the activists of the pro-Awami League student body for the job. In case of the two latest incidents, the authorities did not call the police, and the BCL men foiled the students’ protests, harassed female students and beat up demonstrators. On 23 January, several hundred BCL men from the DU as well as from outside attacked a group of students and leaders and activists of left-leaning student organisations to “rescue” DU Vice Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman, who was kept confined in front of his office by the protestors. At least 50 male and female students and two journalists were injured in the attack.
Much ink has been spilt and tons of paper wasted by newspapers in which columnists as well as commentators wrote on the necessity for minimal governance in which the rule of law, of necessity, is fundamental. The person in command of the Government’s statutory human rights body —- the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Dr. Mizanur Rahman —- affirmed on August 11, 2010, “The country is devoid of the rule of law. The rule of law is totally absent in the country where most people fail to get justice because of poverty and ignorance.” Inconceivable though it may sound, it explains the dire straits the nation is undergoing now.
The people are witnessing unprecedented, incredible, unheard-of shocking occurrences in succession. Horrific murders and ugly incidents —- reminiscent of the misdeeds during the two previous ALregimes —- in gargantuan proportions are being created by boys [and girls] of affiliated organisations of the ruling Awami League (AL) since it came to power in 2009. On all the campuses across the country two rival groups of pro-AL Chhatra League (BCL) have been ruling the roost. They are found engaged in mortal armed clashes to grab business contracts at various educational institutions including ‘varsities.
Mortal gunfights continue to ensue from time to time when pro-AL BCL and Juba League men snatch tender papers for development works. History’s worst incident was revealed when victims among the Eden Girls’ University College students complained that their fellow girls in leadership positions of the BCL forced them into illegal physical abuse.
It is advisable that exemplary punishment is meted out to the culprits after a thorough investigation by an independent judicial commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge.
- Courtesy: Weekly Holiday /Editorial /Jul 6, 2018
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