Editorial
Continued BCL excesses, a crying shame for AL, govt
THE clash between rival factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League at Rajshahi University on March 18, which left at least eight BCL activists injured, underlines, yet again, the failure of the ruling Awami League to rein in its associate organisation for students. The Chhatra League has constantly hogged the headlines – for the wrong reasons, needless to say – since the AL-led government assumed office in January 2009. In the first few weeks, BCL activists were seemingly on a campaign to rid the campuses of different educational institutions across the country of their political rivals through violent means. Then, once they had established complete domination over their rivals, they turned against each other.
The infighting continues till date. The internecine clashes, as BCL insiders were quoted as saying in a report front-paged in New Age on Friday, are mostly over control and share of money generated from rent-seeking, extortion, tender manipulation and 'admission business'. The AL leadership, including its president Sheikh Hasina, has time and again warned the BCL troublemakers of organisational and legal actions. More than 200 leaders and activists of lower units of the Chhatra League have been expelled, some of its university and college units have been disbanded; however, these actions have had very little impact on the BCL troublemakers. Worryingly still, of late, the AL leadership has by and large remained mostly silent over the BCL excesses – no expression of concern or condemnation, no warning – although incidents of BCL infighting over extortion, tender manipulation, admission business, etc have marked a surge.
The police have, meanwhile, appeared reluctant to take any action against the BCL troublemakers. In fact, in some cases, the law enforcers were accused of abetting the rowdy BCL elements. The inspector general of police was quoted in the March 17 New Age report as saying that the police 'will go heavy-handed against the criminals wherever they breach laws… go tough against any violator of laws and take action… file cases and take other legal steps.' Thus far, there has been very little evidence or indication that the police view the BCL excesses as 'crime' or 'violation of law'.
Nor has there been any action against any policemen for failing to maintain law and order although in most cases of campus violence took place very much in the presence of the police. As we have written in these columns before, decisive and demonstrative actions – both organisational and legal – are imperative to rein in the rowdy elements in the Chhatra League. Regrettably, neither the Awami League nor the government has thus far shown the requisite resolve in this regard. Worse still, they increasingly appear to have conceded to, if not given indulgence to, criminal actions by BCL activists.
The AL leadership needs to realise that continued BCL excesses and atrocities not only undermine its authority and control over the student organisation but also lends credence to the suspicion that its ultimate design is to make the Chhatra League an outfit of gangsters rather than an organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of students' interests, as the student fronts of the left-leaning political organisations. Hence, it needs to come up with effective steps to revamp the Chhatra League and reorient its exponents, both politically and culturally.
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