Bangladesh's political and social environment has always been significantly shaped by student politics. Unquestionably, students have played a significant part in national movements, from the early Language Movement in 1952 to the Liberation War in 1971 and the most recent student-led quota reform demonstrations. However, there are serious concerns regarding the applicability, impact, and rationality of student politics, given the situation of student politics in higher education today.
In Bangladesh, student politics have left behind a rich and challenging legacy. Students from Dhaka University played a major role in the Language Movement, which ultimately resulted in Bengali being recognized as a state language in Pakistan. The students' resolute dedication to their language and culture turned into a symbol of protest against injustice. Likewise, in the 1969 Mass Uprising and the 1971 Liberation War, students were influential in organizing the people and leading the fight for autonomy. These movements were strongly rooted in the larger national goals, not just the interests of the students.
During these first stages, a strong sense of purpose and dedication to national objectives characterized Bangladeshi student politics. National identity, social justice, and democracy were among the principles that fueled the student movements of the 1950s and 1960s. Many saw the students leading these movements as the conscience of the country, willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of others. During this time, student politics were distinguished by a strong sense of consensus and a focus on issues that the public found significant.
But throughout the years, Bangladesh's student politics have seen a significant transformation. These days, student politics are more often linked to individual power struggles, violence, and corruption than to the advancement of social change as a whole. The university area has become increasingly politicized as a result of student organizations' connections with major political parties. Formerly regarded as the vanguard of social change, student leaders are now often seen as little more than political party wings, more concerned with advancing the goals of their parent parties than meeting the needs of their student body.
Statistics reveal the troubling nature of this shift. A report by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in 2019 found that student politics in public universities is heavily influenced by national political parties, leading to a culture of fear, intimidation, and violence on campuses. The report highlighted that student wings of political parties are often involved in criminal activities, including extortion, land grabbing, and even murder. Between 2009 and 2019, over 100 students were killed in violence related to student politics, most of them affiliated with political party-backed student organizations.
The academic atmosphere in Bangladesh's higher education institutions has been significantly impacted by this change. Due to the politics of student unions, there are now regular disruptions of academic activities on many campuses, including protests, strikes, and altercations.
The academic prestige of the University of Dhaka, which is sometimes called the "Oxford of the East," has significantly declined, partly as a result of the detrimental effects of student politics. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings state that political involvement and campus violence have made it difficult for Dhaka University, which was formerly among the best universities in Asia, to hold onto its ranking.
On the other hand, student politics follow a distinct paradigm in many affluent nations. Although student activism is still an important aspect of university life, it is frequently less driven by national political parties and more issue-based. For example, student movements in the US have traditionally concentrated on social justice, environmental issues, and civil rights. Aiming for social justice and racial equality over political party affiliation, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s saw substantial involvement from students at universities like Howard University and the University of California, Berkeley.
Similar to this, student activism has been crucial in influencing public policy in the UK on topics like tuition costs and climate change. Millions of students nationwide are represented by the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK, which has played a significant role in planning demonstrations and campaigns around these concerns. In contrast to Bangladesh, student unions in the UK have significant autonomy and are not associated with any national political party. This enables them to remain credible as defenders of students' rights while concentrating on the needs of the students.
The main goals of student unions, or "AStA" (Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss), in nations like Germany are to defend the interests of students on campus and offer services including cultural events, legal guidance, and counseling. Although their actions are mostly unaffected by national politics, German student unions are also engaged in more general social and political issues. In Germany, student unions have been able to sustain a strong focus on academic performance and student welfare despite their disassociation from political parties.
Reforms are obviously required to bring back the rationale and relevance of student politics in Bangladesh's higher education institutions, considering the notable disparities between student politics in developed and developing nations. The actions listed below may be viewed as a component of a larger initiative to depoliticize student unions and redirect their efforts toward the well-being of students and academic achievement. First and foremost, there needs to be a distinct division between national political parties and student unions. In order to avoid acting as agents for political party agendas, student organizations should be encouraged to function independently of political parties and concentrate on topics that directly affect students.
Legislative changes that restrict the participation of political parties in student unions and encourage the creation of autonomous student organizations could accomplish this. Secondly, educational institutions in Bangladesh need to initiate measures to encourage students' issue-based activism. One way to do this would be to encourage students to get involved in campaigns and movements that address particular concerns like gender equality, climate change, and educational reform.
Third, academic institutions need to fund civic education initiatives that provide students with the information and abilities necessary to participate in an informed and productive political conversation. Incorporating courses on civic duty, political philosophy, and ethics into the curriculum can aid students in comprehending the function of activism in a democratic society and cultivating the analytical abilities required to navigate through the complexities of contemporary politics.
Bangladesh's student politics have a long and distinguished history of being involved in some of the most important movements in the history of the nation. Bangladesh may regain the wonderful tradition of student activism and modify it to address the demands of the twenty-first century by implementing these measures.
The writer is a lecturer in Political Science at Varendra University
