Editorial
PM's warning sounds empty as BCL scales newer heights of criminality
WHILE the Bangladesh Chhatra League scales new height of criminality, assault on woman in public being the latest addition to its ever-growing list of misdeeds (and there have also been allegations against some BCL leaders of using students of a women's college for partisan purpose), the prime minister seems to believe sporadic articulation of stern warnings is enough to rein in the student front of the ruling Awami League. That is the impression one may get from her statement at a meeting in Sylhet with the local members of parliament and leaders of the party, and elite at the circuit house on Saturday. According to a report front-paged in New Age on Sunday, she said, 'I see news about Chhatra League and others indulging in such activities [extortion, tender manipulation, etc]… I don't want to see that news anymore.' Given the increasing ferocity and frequency of BCL atrocities across the country, her tough words could be regarded as an exercise in futility at best and political theatrics, geared at covering up the government and the ruling party's inability or unwillingness to rein in the Chhatra League, at worst.
Ever since the AL-led government assumed office in January 2009, the Chhatra League has consistently hogged the headlines, needless to say, for the wrong reasons. Initially, it was violent ouster of political opponents from the campuses of different public universities and colleges. Then there were clashes between rival BCL factions, which earlier this year caused the death of a non-partisan student at Dhaka University. Subsequently, the Chhatra League forayed into extortion, tender manipulation, admission business, etc. In March, following a factional clash at Eden College, it was reported in the media that the skirmishes erupted over alleged use of female students by some BCL leaders of the college for partisan purpose. On April 1, a BCL activist assaulted a female student of Rajshahi after she had spurned his proposal for love. The delinquent, who had also assaulted the young woman, was subsequently expelled from the organisation and detained by the police but was released two hours later.
What the Chhatra League has been doing at different educational institutions across the country since the assumption of office by the AL-led government – violence, extortion, tender manipulation, admission test, etc – is not just breach of organisational discipline but criminal offence as well. While there have been a few instances of expulsion of BCL leaders and activists for breach of organisational discipline, there has hardly been any legal action against the offenders. Such a virtual absence of organisational and legal action seems to have generated a sense of impunity in the Chhatra League, so much so that it no longer appears to be unduly perturbed by the tough words of the AL leadership, including those of the prime minister herself.
Regrettably, however, neither the ruling party nor the government appears unduly perturbed by the insouciance of the BCL. If the prime minister is serious about reining in the BCL, she needs to ensure that the offenders are not only disciplined organisationally but punished legally as well.
BCL men assault 2 newsmen at Shahbagh in front of the Shahbagh police station
Ahmed Foyez, staff correspondent, Weekly Budhbar and Anis Rayhan, staff correspondent, Weekly Saptahik
Chhatra League activists beat up two reporters of two weekly newspapers after an altercation in front of the Shahbagh police station on Sunday evening, witnesses said. The injured Ahmed Foyez, staff correspondent of the Weekly Budhbar and Anis Rayhan, staff correspondent of the Weekly Saptahik were being treated in Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Witnesses said a group of activists of the Chhatra League, the Awami League's associate body of students, led by Sadid Jahan Saikat, Salimullah Muslim Hall unit Chhatra League president in Dhaka University, assaulted the two about 8:15pm when they went to the Shahbagh crossing.
Saikat, who was riding a motorcycle with a young woman, hit the two journalists, said the Weekly Saptahik chief reporter, Mohiuddin Niloy, quoting Anis.When the two protested at the incident, the Chhatra League leader asked for their identities. Saikat then asked them to show their identity cards. Saikat then took away the cards,Niloy said.Saikat slapped them and called in his associates over mobile. About a dozen people reached the place immediately and beat them up until they collapsed on the road at the entrance to the Dhaka University campus.
Local people and general students took the two to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University from where they were shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
