Mohiuddin Alamgir reveals how incidents of clash and conflict among and between the student organisations have hijacked the whole cause of student movement and rights in the public educational institutions of the country
According to witnesses, Saiduzzaman Faruq's men arrived at hall secretary Mehdi Hasan Molla's room, whose activists refused to let them enter. Faruq's activists then attacked Mehdi, sparking off the fight.
The two factions charged each other with long knives, firearms and the Bangladeshi version of Molotov cocktails. During the clash, Abu, loyal to Mehdi, was injured seriously and was taken to the intensive care unit of the DMCH. Although he was operated on, Abu finally succumbed to his injuries on February 3 at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Earlier, Rezanur Chowdhury Sunny, vice-president of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute of Chhatra Maitree, the pro-Workers Party student organisation, was killed by BCL cadres on January 7. Abul Kalam Asad Rajib, general secretary of the Dhaka Medical College BCL, died during a factional clash of the BCL on March 31, 2009.
The recent loss of lives once again reminded countrymen of the vulnerable state of our educational institutions due to internal and internecine conflicts between activists of BCL, Jatiyotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), widely known as Shibir, and sometimes, the ranks of Chhatra Maitree.
According to newspaper reports, nine students and student activists have lost their lives over the past one year, ever since AL won the general elections to the ninth national parliament on December 29, 2008, while over 2,500 were wounded in various clashes at different academic institutions of the country. Over thirty educational institutions were ordered closed for an indefinite period as a consequence of clashes, during the last thirteen months.
At least 122 violent clashes involving activists of different organisations rocked different educational institutions, including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, over the last thirteen months.
Among the nine students killed in violent clashes, three were killed in factional clashes of BCL, one BCL activist killed by ICS activists, while two each of JCD and ICS, and an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree.
Raihanul Islam Rabbi, a JCD leader, was killed in Khulna, allegedly by a group of Chhatra League activists on January 1. Rabbi was a student of Khulna Government City College. Sharifuzzaman Nomani, Rajshahi University unit secretary of ICS, died in a clash with BCL on the campus on March 13.
Last year, during the second week of January, Ibrahim Rony, vice president of JCD Ward No. 2 of Narayanganj Sadar thana was allegedly killed by BCL cadres of the same unit. Similarly, Hafej Ramjan Ali, ICS worker of the Dewanganj Madrassah of Jamalpur district, was also allegedly killed by BCL activists.
Palash Jammadar, a BCL activist of Mehendiganj Thana of the Barisal district lost his life during an inter-party clash while Shapan Mandal, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) worker, was killed by BCL cadres at the Suhrawardy Udyan in August last year.
In the latest incident, Faruk Hossain, a Master's student of mathematics at Rajshahi University and a BCL activist, was killed in a clash between ICS and BCL on February 8.
Besides taking over the campuses, occupying halls, doing away with opposition student leaders and so on, at the educational institutions, it is also alleged that most BCL activists are also active in vandalism, robbery, extortion and looting in different parts of the country. They are also involved in tender businesses and other illegal activities, according to students of various universities, including the colleges under the National University and medical colleges.
Things were so much out of hand that at one point, the prime minister and organisational chief of BCL, Sheikh Hasina was compelled to announce that she had quit from her position as 'guardian' of the student party if the nuisances are not curbed.
Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton, general secretary of the BCL, shared a different view about the incidents, while denying all allegations against the party.
'The incidents are exaggeratedly presented by the media and our oppositions,' he said. 'BCL is a large organisation and there could be "sporadic incidents"; however our activists can not be accused for all the incidents which are occurring,' he said.
BCL's opposition JCD is also fighting to revive their position in the campuses. Their activities, during the four-party alliance rule, were in no way less than BCL's current behaviour.
JCD was involved in factionalism, attempts to eliminate opponent student fronts and factions, occupying halls of residence to establish dominance, tender-businesses, settling personal scores and so on, back then. They were also involved in extortion, seat business and other activities.
Their notoriety can be recalled through newspaper reports from October 2001 till October 2006. Around 800 incidents of clashes occurred during this time, out of which, 420 incidents were instigated by JCD activists directly.
In 2002, two members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were allegedly killed during a shootout at Motijheel, the business hub of Dhaka, during a robbery that was headed by Tanjilur Rahman, president of the JCD unit of Zahurul Haq.
On July 13, 2005, Rafiqul Islam Patoary, a JCD leader of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), was killed by another faction of JCD. Sohag, Suharwardy College unit president of JCD, was killed in an internal clash in connection with drug peddling in 2005.
Amirul Islam Khan Alim, general secretary of JCD, has likewise denied all the allegations and accused BCL activists for the violence in the institutions. 'The countrymen can see what they are doing all over the country,' he commented.
'The currently ruling party, Awami League, and their passive body, BCL, is establishing dominance in educational institutions by using their muscle power,' he added.
ICS is yet another organisation that has been prominent through their involvement in campus violence. Their dominance is mostly realised through numerous incidents mainly in campuses outside Dhaka like Rajshahi, Chittagong, Bogra and other districts.
Their prime opponent is usually the BCL. ICS has dominated the campuses of Chittagong and Rajshahi having also been involved in extortion, seat business and other illegal activities.
Prominent educationist professor emeritus Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, of Dhaka University, described these student bodies as front organisations of political parties. The presence of these student bodies is causing major problems to the society.
'The situation did not worsen overnight. Some political leaders use students for their own benefit. In this way, students got involved in the power struggle,' he said. He urged political leaders to bring an end to the use of students for their own benefit. 'Political leaders must stop using students for bad political intentions,' he stressed.
He also blamed university authorities for not taking any initiatives for students' cultural and recreational activities. 'Nowadays, there are no cultural activities in the university campuses. Students pay money to publish magazines but they are not published,' he pointed out. He felt that the lack of cultural and recreational activities is responsible for students' involvement in criminal activities.
Rashed Khan Menon, a current lawmaker of the country and a leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra Union group named after him, observed that the scenario of student politics has changed immensely after 1990. 'Terrorism, corruption and criminalisation has crept into student politics in absence of hall unions and central union elections in the educational institutions,' he said.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) general secretary, Mujahidul Islam Selim, who was also a student movement activist between 1965 and 1972, and was Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) vice-president felt that ongoing student politics is doing less for student welfare.
'In the name of student politics, sycophancy, tender grabbing, hall grabbing and extortion are presently prevailing,' he said. 'Similar things occurred during our times as well, but we organised ourselves to fight against such bad elements,' he informed.
'Greed and lack of morality are the main reasons behind this violence,' said Mahmudur Rahman Manna, former DUCSU vice president and Awami League leader. 'It started right after independence through the hijacking of ballot boxes during the DUCSU elections in 1973, the seven murders at DU, and gathered momentum during the martial law regimes of Ziaur Rahman and Ershad,' he added.
Manbendra Deb, president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union and Rafiqul Islam Shujon, president of Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree, agreed with them.
'Religious fanatics have already turned Rajshahi, Chittagong University and other educational institutions of the cities into "mini cantonments",' said Manab. 'These activists are dangerously vindictive towards the opponents' ideological activities,' he explained.
'We need a renaissance to instigate changes in political practices of the students as mainstream political parties continue to patronise unhealthy practices,' Selim, who is
also the former president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, added.
Tofail Ahmed, another renowned student leader and Awami League leader, opines that the absence of the DUCSU elections is taking away bright students from the field of politics.
'The glorious traditions of student politics have been in decline since the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 which resulted in the military junta assuming power,' says Tofail, former president of the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
When he was asked about the solution to the problem, he refused to comment anything further.
Current and former student leaders also echoed with Tofail Ahmed with regards to hall unions and central union elections, in the educational institutions.
Serajul Islam, meanwhile, is sceptical about the demand for banning student politics in the public universities. 'By banning, the society will get some robots but not concerned students,' he opined.
'Universities are social organisations and student movements provide the right ingredient required to hold the academic society together. Instead of stopping student movement, people should ponder on how and the ways through which the illegal activities of some leaders can be stopped,' he said.
'The political parties should impart ideological and moral education to their student wings,' said Manna. 'Strict punishment should be handed down to identified criminals,' he added.
'I am completely in favour of student politics,' said the vice chancellor of Dhaka University, AAMS Arefin Siddique. While supporting student politics, he mentioned that politics need to be academic or institution based.
'The ideological linkage will be there between students and politics but not what they are doing now,' he mentioned.
'If democracy is our goal then we have to make space for student politics as well. Students are the future leaders of our country; if they do not do it then who will?' he asked.
'Most importantly, student politics has to be de-linked from political parties. Only, current students should be involved in healthy politics,' he said.
Arefin also agreed that one of the ways out will be by holding the student body elections. 'The Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) was an extremely powerful institution within the Dhaka University. This, despite being an important wing, has been dismantled for the last 18 to 20 years,' he said.
'Because of this, student politics has become polluted. Only a current student will know the plight of other students, not ex students or outsiders,' he urged.
Arefin further agreed that economics plays an important role in student politics. 'In order to secure a space in the hall, a faction of students fall into the trap of dirty politics,' he pointed out.
He provided the example of how, in exchange of a seat in the hall, students participate in a meeting or a rally. 'Ninety per cent of the students come from outside of Dhaka and hence the logistical support is for them. The money that they get from their parents is low and survival is hard here,' he said.
A history of violence According to Banglapedia, the book Bangladesher Chhatra Andoloner Itihas (History of students movement in Bangladesh), periodicals of different students' organisation and newspapers in the country, roughly 144 student activists have died since the independence of Bangladesh.
At least 73 died at Dhaka University, 26 at Rajshahi University, 11 at Chittagong University, eight at Bangladesh Agricultural University, seven at Islamic University (Kushtia), five at Jahangirnagar University, three at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, two at Rajshahi Medical College, one each at BUET, DMC and six BCL leaders who were killed in a brush fire by Shibir activists in Baddarhat, Chittagong in 2000.
The detail justifies the New York Times identification of the Dhaka University as the 'most violent campus in the world'.
The beginning
In independent Bangladesh, the first incident of killing in student politics took place in 1974, when BCL activists, under the leadership of then general secretary Shafiul Alam Prodhan, killed seven students of the Mohsin hall, at around 2:00 am on April 4, 1974. The seven murdered were Nazmul Haq Kohinoor, Mohammad Idris, Rezwanul, Syed Masum Ahmed, Basiruddin Ahmmad Jinnah and Abul Hossain.
End of a talent
Sabekun Nahar Sony, a second year student of chemical engineering of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2002, was shot dead when a stray bullet hit her during a confrontation between two factions of the JCD.
Those who dared to protest
Moyeen Hossain Raju, a Dhaka University student and an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra Union (BCU) was an active protestor against terrorism on campus. On the evening of March 13, 1992 he was talking to his party comrades when, out of the blue, the student activists of BCL and BCD started firing at each other.
Instantly, Raju organised a demonstration against terrorism acts on campus. Unfortunately, a bullet pierced through his head and he fell to his death within seconds.
Intra party struggle: BCL style
After the fall of Hussain Mohammad Ershad, serious conflicts tore the BCL apart into a number of different factions. A prey of this inner party struggle was Moniruzzaman Badal, the organising secretary of BCL. Badal was killed during the clash on January 9, 1992 in front of the Shamsunnahar Hall of DU.
Intra party struggle: JCD style
It was a rainy day of 2004 when students of the Zahurul Haq hall witnessed the blood of Mahbubul Alam Khokon being washed away into the sewerage line by rain water. Khokon was first beaten by hockey sticks, by activists of a rival faction of JCD, Zahurul Haq unit.
Finally, to ensure his death, the miscreants stabbed him three times.
Century
The nation was mortified when reports were published in the dailies about Jasimuddin Manik, general secretary of JU unit BCL, who celebrated his 'century of rape' during his campus life in 1998. He was sacked from the committee in response of a mass student movement on campus.
In 2003, a sociology student of SUST was raped by Sadi, a Chhatra Dal cadre. When the university authorities rusticated him from the institute, he took revenge by attacking the vice chancellor of the institution.
Guru dakshina
60-year-old Professor Sayeed Taher Ahmed of the geology and mining department of Rajshahi University was killed by a group of Shibir activists on February 1, 2006.
Under the leadership of Mahbubul Alam Salehi, president of RU Shibir unit, the Shibir activists killed Taher because of his progressive and liberal-minded ways.
Taher also left behind work of fighting against illegal activities at the university administration, including the recruitment of 544 employees on 'political consideration'.
The murder was followed by the killing of professor Mohammad Yunus, an economics department faculty of the same university. It is alleged that this was also carried out by Shibir activists.
In the name of the Almighty
After changing their name from Islami Chhatra Sangha, a collaborator organisation during the liberation war in 1971, activists of Chhatra Shibir proved their brutality through various incidents in different campuses all over the country. Their trademark move was cutting the arteries of opposition leaders and activists, besides the usual murders and hurling of bombs.
Students of RU and CU allege that Shibir activists carry out such audacious acts by pronouncing the name of the Almighty.
Activists of the organisation sprayed gun powder in Nawab Abdul Latif Hall, Syed Amir Ali Hall and Shah Makhdum Hall of RU while chanting Naraye Takbir on March 17 in 1992. They later lit fire to these halls. Shibir activists have killed eight out of the total 12 killings at RU since 1990.
According to different sources, including newspapers, since 1985 Shibir activists have killed seven students in Chittagong University out of the total 11 murders at the campus, alongside six BCL leaders who were killed in a brush fire by Shibir activists in Baddarhat of Chittagong in 2000.
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