HC's observation on student politics upsetting

While delivering order on a writ petition filed over the torture of a student of Islamic University of Kushtia, the High Court (HC) expressed grave concern over the future of country's student politics.

What a two member HC bench observation came in this regard not only echoes the long held frustration of people about student politics, but is also significant in the wake of recent rise of students' torture in the name of ragging.  A big number of students have been accused in tarnishing the splendid history of student politics and the authorities concerned should take measures in order to stop ragging in all universities.

However, HC's remarks regarding student politics came after the issue of serious negligence on the part of authority concerned in the case of physical torture inflicted on a freshman student of Islamic University. A probe committee report also questioned the role of top brass of the university.

Needs be mentioned, what the probe committee report had found in this case was not only a total dereliction of duty on the part of authority concerned, it also mentioned the university authority's partisan character.

If we look into the latest display of atrocities by the two BCL leaders of the Islamic University, we cannot but wonder how a student organisation with a glorious past can resort to such rowdy practices. Does the act of Sanjida Chowdhury Ontora and her five cohorts, whom, thanks to BCL, expelled from the party position for their alleged involvement in beating Fulpori and stripping of her clothes not go in sharp contrast with BCL's core spirit orchestrated in almost all political movements leading up to the Liberation War?

Can these derailed students ever imagine over the untold mental agony a female student has to go through under the threat of making her naked video go viral?

Such abhorrent trends in student politics started as part of establishing ruling party's control in education campuses from the early 90's. Since then, the place of ethics in student politics has been replaced by petty self interest and exercising muscle power.

 If the authorities concerned fail to provide security to students, they have no right to occupy chairs in our prime education centres. And their inefficiency and negligence in duty will only send a wrong message to the society. Had authorities concerned acted promptly in previous incidents of student harassment cases, it would not have repeated in the Islamic University today.

While it is not right to put the blame of a few bad eggs on the entire organisation, similarly, reforming BCL student activists through due corrective measures is also the need of the hour.