Instead administrative authorities of residential halls of public universities across the country, Student organizations in convenience with political bodies have long been rule the dormitories for which students suffer almost routinely. General students have alleged that the leaders and activists of the parties in power have practice political power and oppression upon students in the name of politics.
Talking with some Public Universities residential students that the grim picture of domination and occupation by student bodies in almost all public universities are the same. Students urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take stern action against ragging and ugly politics in the universities campuses to sustain congenial educational atmosphere.
Currently. Awami League (AL) rule the country for three consecutive terms stretching for more than a decade now. Its associate student body Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has been dominating residential halls in the universities. Earlier, it was either the BNP’s affiliate student body JatiyatabadiChhatra Dal (JCD) or its alliance partner Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s affiliate body IslamiChhatraShibir, which ruled the campuses. The worn picture got triggered after recent merciless murder of BUET student AbrarFarhad who was beaten to death by some BCL activists in Sher e Bangla hall of the Universities. As per Prime Minister Directives’BUET authorities and law enforcement agencies took immediate action against perpetrators and sealed off political students’ room banning student politics. But other universities still suffering the problem.
In Dhaka University, it has been widely reported that Chhatrra League rule the halls operating ‘Shadow administration’ instead of hall authority. The allocation of hall seats is controlled by the BCL leaders. They hold students’ hostage by capitalising on the latter’s accommodation crisis. Hall administration allegedly enjoying blissful ignorance.
As per the university rules, new students are allotted seats by the Dean’s office. It is the responsibility of that respective hall administration to ensure accommodation facilities to the students. But at present students who want to stay in hall have to affiliated with BCL politics being absolute loyal to the political leader.
a first year student who wants to stay in the hall he is attached to, he have to stay in some particular rooms that are known to the students as “gono room” – an overcrowded room – where 15-30 students live, on condition that they would join the Chhatra League. Gradually, on the basis of their performance in political activities and their loyalty to the party, the leaders shift them to “better” rooms, if anyone show disloyalty to BCL leaders by any means he get tortured or have to leave hall forcefully.
The situation in dormitories for male students is far poorer than those in the halls for female students. Seeking anonymity aresidential students said, he had talked to his hall Provost several times, but could not manage a seat as that procedure is controlled by the BCL leaders. Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice-President NurulHaqNur said, “Our provosts and house tutors are so busy that they have forgotten morality.”
“With the help of the authorities, we tried to resolve the problem in various halls. But the BCL goons attacked us. One of us, Farid, was severely injured.” He added. Accommodating the problem, Sir A F Rahman Hall Provost Prof. Dr. KM Saiful Islam Khan said, “We discussed the crisis in the provost standing committee. Enough is enough! These ‘gono-rooms’ are destroying the intellectual calibre of our students. Some of them are getting addicted, attempting extortion and even getting involved in mayhem.”
Amidst this grim scenario, a ray of hope has been sighted of late with the DU Provost Committee deciding to take control of the dormitories. The committee has decided that students completing their master’s exam should leave the halls within 15 days. The hall administration will allocate the vacant seats on the basis of merit to students admitted to the 1st year. It has also been decided that no student would be allowed to stay without administrative permission.
The picture of Chittagong University is not different from DU. General Students have to stay in the hall with the consent of affiliate student bodies of different political parties. During the last six years, the BCL is controlling the university’s dormitories. Earlier, they were under the control of the ChhatraShibir. Some students alleged that BCL leaders provide a list of their activist to the hall authorities to allocate sit and hall administrations doing so.
As a result, the general students are deprived of getting accommodation in the halls despite fulfilling all the requirements, they allege. Denying the allegation, CU Proctor PranabMitraChawdhurysaid, “There is no scope for irregularities. We always complete this allotment process in a transparent manner,” he claimed.
In RajshahiUniversity, The leaders and activists of the BCL of RU unit have grabbed the dormitories by taking control of the seats. They control around 100-150 seats in every dormitory that are known as the ‘BCL Block’. Outsiders allegedly reside in the halls under the protection of BCL men. Many of these outsiders are said to be working as political agents. Besides, hall provosts invariably give priority to those recommended by the BCL when allotting seats.
Students alleged that hall offices were the sole allotting authorities but were unable to supervise hall seat distribution without the consent of the BCL. Hall convenor provost Prof DrRezaul Karim Bakshi said, “Hall provosts cannot control fully due to political considerations. I will talk with the vice chancellor to solve the problem.”
Stressing need of banning political occupancy in dormitories, A third year students of RU, Raya Ramisa said, “For the sake of country’s development, government and universities should immediately ban political occupancy and ensure congenial educational atmosphere,”
“intellect can’t bloom in subservient places,” she quoted.