The latest news on formation of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) committee at some private universities raised a storm of debate whether party politics should be allowed on campus.
BCL, the student wing of ruling Awami League, has reportedly formed committees at country’s 16 private universities units. Apart from BCL, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), a student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other political parties’ student wings are also set to form committee.
Following the news, parents and guardians of the students expressed deep concern, saying if the student politics is introduced at private university educational atmosphere and academic activities will be destroyed. They also informed the university authorities not to allow party politics on campus.
The Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh on Thursday said they do not oppose political awareness and student politics on their campuses. But this issue will be determined by the university authorities whether the party politics can be run within the university campus.
Education Minister Dipu Moni told Jatiya Sangsad that educational institutions can decide together with students if party politics should be allowed on campus. The education ministry does not interfere in what policy a university or any party has.
All political parties should
discourage their student wings not to conduct
political activities
at private university campuses
There is no alternative to political awareness for a democratic society, conscious people, reasonable and world-class citizens. There are 108 private and 52 public universities in the country. Since 1992 private universities have mushroomed in Bangladesh. But a number of private universities are running their academic activities violating rules regulations across the country. However, some universities are providing quality education to the students. As these universities are maintaining peace, order, and rules on their respective campuses, parents are sending daughters and sons to the private universities. Parents think as there is no politics at private universities, there would be also no violence or clash there. So, their daughters and sons would complete higher education within the time frame as well as without facing any session jam.
We all know that student politics had a great contribution to the country’s different movements including the Language Movement and War of Liberation. But there are many differences between public and private universities. The public universities are higher educational institutions that get most of their funding from the government while private ones rely on student tuition and fees and endowments. Besides, public universities are equipped with open campus, sophisticated academic building, central library, female and male dormitories, vast open spaces and other facilities.
But the country’s most of the private universities run their academic activities at some high rise building at crowded places without having minimum open space or campus. Keeping this in mind, all political parties should discourage their student wings not to conduct political activities at private university campuses right now. Otherwise, like public universities, educational atmosphere and academic activities at private universities will be hampered while political clashes and violence will continue to take places.