Jahangirnagar University :BCL off the leash
Extortion, bid to control halls led to 30 factional clashes in 18 months
Illegal toll collection, attempts to dominate other factions, establishment of control over dormitories led to violent factional clashes among Bangladesh Chhatra League activists in Jahangirnagar University over the last year and a half.
The university authorities' inability to punish culprits and central Chhatra League's powerlessness to control its JU unit have also helped the situation to deteriorate.
Members of the JU Chhatra League unit engaged in at least 30 violent intra-party clashes including two gunfights on university campus since the ruling Awami League assumed power in January 2009, the highest number of factional clashes in any educational institution in a span of 18 months.
The clashes left at least 200 people including teachers and policemen injured.
The clash on July 5 alone left 33 people, including a top university administrator, injured. Chhatra League men locked in the clash over taking control of a dormitory and a piece of land near the campus.
Talking to The Daily Star, Chhatra League leaders, activists and teachers of the university said the central committee of the organisation has hardly any control over its JU unit. The top two Chhatra League central leaders have little "acceptance" among JU unit leaders.
Taking control over dormitories and tender process of development work, collecting toll from public-transport vehicles at their stoppages, grabbing pieces of land in Savar and Ashulia that have ownership disputes and establishing supremacy over the rival group were the main reasons behind most of the 30 violent clashes, they added.
Sources said the JU unit collects around Tk 1 lakh from Bishmile Tempo Stand, a few factories in EPZ and ticket counters of buses every month.
JU Proctor Md Arzu Miah told The Daily Start that the politics of JU unit Chhatra League is no longer based on ideology, rather on various interests.
"Their activities damage the image of the university, hamper the academic atmosphere and are slowing down the development work of the university," he said.
Fifteen days after the Awami League assumed power, Chhatra League men engaged in a violent clash on January 18, 2009 leaving at least 30 people injured. Following the clash, Chhatra League central suspended the activities of its JU unit for a month. A day before the suspension was to end Chhatra League men had a daylong gun-battle between themselves.
Chhatra League central dissolved the committee of its JU unit on February 17, 2009 and announced a fresh committee of the unit on May 19 this year.
Central Chhatra League President Mahmud Hasan Ripon and General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Rotan, however, did not visit JU in the last 18 months fearing insult and attack by JU unit leaders, sources claimed.
After the July 5 clash, JU administration suspended 17 students, most of them activists of Chhatra League.
But no action was taken against the leaders of the two feuding groups--Chhatra League JU unit President Rashedul Islam Safin and General Secretary Nirjhar Alam Sammo--basically led their own groups in the clash.
Chhatra League activist Anik Kumar Saha of Batch-36 Drama and Dramatics department was photographed with a large lethal weapon on July 5. The photo was run by most dailies the next day. He is, however, yet to face any charges.
Alamgir Hossain of government and politics department is now behind bars and Mahfuzul Islam Mahi of the same department has been temporarily suspended from the university in connection with the clash. Both of them are widely known to have had nothing to do with the incident.
JU Proctor Arzu even admitted that there were some innocent students behind bars. He said the innocent would be released.
THE JULY 5 CLASH
The July-5 clash erupted when Enayed Kabir Emil and a few others of Nirjhar's group beat up Mostafa Manwar Sajeeb, an activist of Safin's group. The fighting spread fast.
Tension was running high between Safin and Nirjhar groups for a few days over taking control of a piece of land at Padua area and toll collection from bus and human haulier stands near campus.
Safin, however, denied his involvement in the clash and claimed that it was staged by some people who failed to get posts in the unit committee.
NO CONTROL
After 14 months of suspension, fresh committee to the unit was declared on May 19 this year. Chhatra League insiders claimed the central committee formed the JU unit committee in exchange for handsome amount of money.
Central Chhatra League President Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Safin and Nirjhar, however, refuted this allegation of money changing hands.
The university authorities' inability to punish culprits and central Chhatra League's powerlessness to control its JU unit have also helped the situation to deteriorate.
Members of the JU Chhatra League unit engaged in at least 30 violent intra-party clashes including two gunfights on university campus since the ruling Awami League assumed power in January 2009, the highest number of factional clashes in any educational institution in a span of 18 months.
The clashes left at least 200 people including teachers and policemen injured.
The clash on July 5 alone left 33 people, including a top university administrator, injured. Chhatra League men locked in the clash over taking control of a dormitory and a piece of land near the campus.
Talking to The Daily Star, Chhatra League leaders, activists and teachers of the university said the central committee of the organisation has hardly any control over its JU unit. The top two Chhatra League central leaders have little "acceptance" among JU unit leaders.
Taking control over dormitories and tender process of development work, collecting toll from public-transport vehicles at their stoppages, grabbing pieces of land in Savar and Ashulia that have ownership disputes and establishing supremacy over the rival group were the main reasons behind most of the 30 violent clashes, they added.
Sources said the JU unit collects around Tk 1 lakh from Bishmile Tempo Stand, a few factories in EPZ and ticket counters of buses every month.
JU Proctor Md Arzu Miah told The Daily Start that the politics of JU unit Chhatra League is no longer based on ideology, rather on various interests.
"Their activities damage the image of the university, hamper the academic atmosphere and are slowing down the development work of the university," he said.
Fifteen days after the Awami League assumed power, Chhatra League men engaged in a violent clash on January 18, 2009 leaving at least 30 people injured. Following the clash, Chhatra League central suspended the activities of its JU unit for a month. A day before the suspension was to end Chhatra League men had a daylong gun-battle between themselves.
Chhatra League central dissolved the committee of its JU unit on February 17, 2009 and announced a fresh committee of the unit on May 19 this year.
Central Chhatra League President Mahmud Hasan Ripon and General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Rotan, however, did not visit JU in the last 18 months fearing insult and attack by JU unit leaders, sources claimed.
After the July 5 clash, JU administration suspended 17 students, most of them activists of Chhatra League.
But no action was taken against the leaders of the two feuding groups--Chhatra League JU unit President Rashedul Islam Safin and General Secretary Nirjhar Alam Sammo--basically led their own groups in the clash.
Chhatra League activist Anik Kumar Saha of Batch-36 Drama and Dramatics department was photographed with a large lethal weapon on July 5. The photo was run by most dailies the next day. He is, however, yet to face any charges.
Alamgir Hossain of government and politics department is now behind bars and Mahfuzul Islam Mahi of the same department has been temporarily suspended from the university in connection with the clash. Both of them are widely known to have had nothing to do with the incident.
JU Proctor Arzu even admitted that there were some innocent students behind bars. He said the innocent would be released.
THE JULY 5 CLASH
The July-5 clash erupted when Enayed Kabir Emil and a few others of Nirjhar's group beat up Mostafa Manwar Sajeeb, an activist of Safin's group. The fighting spread fast.
Tension was running high between Safin and Nirjhar groups for a few days over taking control of a piece of land at Padua area and toll collection from bus and human haulier stands near campus.
Safin, however, denied his involvement in the clash and claimed that it was staged by some people who failed to get posts in the unit committee.
NO CONTROL
After 14 months of suspension, fresh committee to the unit was declared on May 19 this year. Chhatra League insiders claimed the central committee formed the JU unit committee in exchange for handsome amount of money.
Central Chhatra League President Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Safin and Nirjhar, however, refuted this allegation of money changing hands.
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