Activists and leaders of the Chhatra League, including President Saddam Hussain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, have entered the campus of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology openly among student protests of the political organisation’s incursion onto the premises despite a ban.
A group of nearly a hundred activists went and presented flowers at the BUET Shaheed Minar around 2:30pm on Sunday. They left the campus soon afterwards. The main gates and paths leading to different residential halls were closed at the time.
Before going to the campus, Saddam had addressed a gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar, demanding the return of student politics to the BUET campus.
He said he would petition the BUET administration to allow student politics to restart on the campus immediately, labelling the ban a ‘black law’.
“There is no law in the university ordinance barring student politics in universities. Even if there is, it is unconstitutional. We are giving an ultimatum to the BUET administration from the Shaheed Minar today to allow student politics immediately. Student council elections should be held as soon as possible. The seat of BUET student and Chhatra League Central Committee member Imtiaz Hossain [Rahim] Rabbi must be restored.”
Though there are negative elements in student politics, it should be reformed through the positive, Saddam said. Banning student politics defaces the constitution and allows the deterioration of campus culture, he added.
“Militant and anti-independence quarters will engage in dark politics,” he said. “Hizb ut Tahrir sends emails to students’ official accounts speaking about establishing a caliphate or adding a QR code to encourage the practice of militancy. We want to present a modern and smart version of student politics to the students of BUET. They will make Bangladesh proud by developing cutting-edge technology.”
Student politics were banned on the BUET campus in 2019 after a student movement against the death of Abrar Fahad, who was beaten to death allegedly by Chhatra League activists. But, late on Thursday night, the central president and office secretary of the Chhatra League entered the campus for a gathering.
Student protesters say Imtiaz Hossain Rahim, a student of the 21st batch at the civil engineering department and member of the central Chhatra League committee, organised the event.
The BUET administration scrapped Imtiaz’s hall seat, however, protesters are continuing to demand his expulsion as well as those of several others involved in the gathering for breach of university rules.
They say they have identified five others involved from photos and video of the event and have called on university authorities to identify and take action against other students involved.
BUET Vice Chancellor Satya Prasad Majumder says a six-member special committee has been formed to probe the incident. They are to launch their investigation on Saturday and have until Apr 8 to file a report.
The disciplinary board can meet to decide on Imtiaz’s expulsion once the report has been filed.
Students are boycotting all academic activities, including term finals on Mar 30 and Mar 31 to protest the incident.
Students have also continued to push for the resignation of Prof Mizanur Rahman, the director of the Department of Student Welfare over the unauthorised entry to campus by outsiders. However, VC Majumder hinted that the administration would not heed the demand.
Meanwhile, the Chhatra League is holding demonstrations and gatherings to protest Imtiaz’s suspension.
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