A government of national consensus is needed for two years, which will bring about structural changes in the state and make it a humane one. If elections are held in six months or a year, the existing system will not change much.
Former vice president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Nurul Haque Nur made the remark at a shadow parliament on “Fair Environment of Education and Students’ Politics,” organised by the Debate for Democracy and held in the city’s FDC on Saturday.
Nur continued, “This incumbent government is an apolitical and revolutionary government. State governance is rooted in politics. It is not possible to run the state effectively with non-political people. It is not possible to run the state with the NGO brand image.
“Therefore, the interim government should increase its scope and form an inclusive government with representatives from various parties, along with non-political persons. Otherwise, if there is distance with the political parties, even if we say two years, it will be difficult for this government to survive even six months.”
He added, “Political parties supporting the fascist government, including the Awami League and Jatiya Party, should be banned for ten years by formulating a law. So that it becomes an example to the next generation. The reign of terror that the Chhatra League established during the fallen regime should be punished appropriately.
“In the last DUCSU polls, the intelligence agency and university authorities declared only two winners including me as VP out of 11 candidates elected through rigging. Voting results are announced in the early hours of the morning to engineer the counting of votes.”
Presiding over the event, Debate for Democracy Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran said, “The chaos created by the student organisation of the previous Awami government in the name of student politics in the last 15 years will remain a dark chapter in history.
“Now hearing about student politics scares me. Various activities of Chhatra League in the past made us alarmed. When we think about student politics, we think of all kinds of misdeeds and abuse of power including extortion, tender irregularities, murder, robbery, rape.”
He continued, “The Chhatra League has made hall occupation, seat occupation, torture in common room, ragging very common activities in universities. The Chhatra League, an organ of the then ruling party, was involved in multi-faceted misdeeds including forcing students to attend rallies, functions, drug dealing in halls, renting arms for various terrorist activities.
“Many universities had to appoint staff from lists given by the BCL. They used to take a percentage of all development works of educational institutions. Chhatra League also gave directions to the administration as to who would get the contract work.”
Kiran pointed out, “Behind the mask of student politics in educational institutions, power, wealth, money, lobbying business was big in the student politics of that time.
“Strict legal action should be taken against the VCs, pro VCs, and proctors of various educational institutions as they were accomplices for the atrocities that the Chhatra League committed in various educational institutions during the 15-year rule of the previous regime.”
He continued, “Sometimes I think it would be better if there was no student politics. But, then I remember that the students have protected our rights from the front line in all movements, including 1952, 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1990.
“Over a thousand students and citizens were martyred in the July revolution and ushered in a new freedom in the country. Thousands of students still languish in hospitals after losing their eyes and suffering from paralysis. Our students were at the forefront of the latest revolution that brought down the dictatorship. Then why should we not support student politics?”
Kiran recommended the following 10 points to maintain a fair environment of education in educational institutions
Taking legal action of the current administration against the abettors of the administration involved in various irregularities including killings in educational institutions
Debaters of Manarat International University won the shadow parliament titled “Student Politics an obstacle to fair environment of education,” defeating the debaters of Bangladesh University.
Trophies, crests and certificates were awarded to the champion teams at the end of the debate competition.
