Allowing student politics up to institutions: Dipu Moni

Education Minister Dipu Moni on Monday said the educational institutions will decide whether to allow or not student politics on the campus.

"The outcome of banning student politics in educational institutions is not usually good. This should also be considered," she said.

The minister was talking to reporters after attending a meeting on law and order situation during SSC and equivalent exams in the capital.

Being involved in politics is a matter of an individual's fundamental rights, said Dipu.

"It is between a political party and an educational institute, what rule they made and what understanding they have regarding student politics. The education ministry does not decide nor intervene in these matters," said the minister.

"People have different opinions regarding allowing studentpolitics in educational institutions but there is no alternative to political consciousness if we hope for a democratic society" Dipu added.

Politics is a healthy and positive thing and this positivity has to be maintained during party politics in educational institutions, she said.

On August 13, former students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) arranged a rally in its premises ahead ofNational Mourning Day under the banner of Bangladesh Chhatra league (BCL).

This raised a storm of debate as political activities in BUET campus has officially remained banned since the murder of student Abrar Fahad in 2019, by some then-leaders of BCl at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university.