BUET students vow to keep campus apolitical

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) students have condemned alleged political slogans chanted during Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary's visit to the campus, calling it contradictory to their politics-free campus policy achieved through the sacrifice of two talented students' lives.

At a press conference held on Wednesday night regarding the incident, students said that they obtained their student politics-free BUET campus in exchange for two talented students' lives, adding that student politics had destroyed many brilliant students' careers.

"We are committed to maintaining this apolitical campus at any cost," the students said.

Regarding Patwary's presence, students explained he came to attend Taraweeh prayers at the campus mosque as part of his public outreach programme in the Dhaka-8 constituency. While everyone has the right to pray at mosques, political slogans chanted after prayers with Patwary contradicted their commitment to keeping BUET apolitical.

"Our only identity at a higher education institution like BUET should be as students, not any political identity," they said, emphasising that campus should be a safe space for knowledge, research and developing humanistic values, not a stage for political power display.

Students strongly rejected any political party's activities at BUET, saying they remain determined to maintain their politics-free campus.

Abrar Faiyaz, brother of Abrar Fahad, who was killed by Chhatra League activists, also expressed anger over the incident through a social media post Wednesday night.

"Today's student politics-free BUET campus was obtained in exchange for two lives, the result of hundreds of students' time working day and night without thinking about their careers," Faiyaz wrote. He questioned what benefit Patwary gained from the visit whilst causing damage that would take time to understand.

Patwary responded on social media saying he went to BUET on some brothers' invitation to perform Taraweeh prayers. He was reminded before entering that no statements could be made at the apolitical campus, which he accepted.

"I only prayed for the souls of martyr Abrar Fahad and 57 martyred army officers," Patwary said, adding he held a press briefing later at Palashi and personally stopped people when they chanted "Inqilab Zindabad" slogans.

NRE/AM