student politics should be banned essay

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Is student politics out of control in Bangladesh?

The apparently political murder of an undergraduate at a top bangladeshi university by other students has stunned a nation, writes nahid neazy.

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It was hard to know how to respond when I heard the news of a student’s brutal murder in a dormitory at Dhaka’s Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in October. Abrar Fahad, a 21-year-old engineering student, was beaten to death over several hours by fellow students using cricket stumps and bamboo poles. His offence? To have allegedly criticised the government, in a social media post three days earlier, over a memorandum of understanding with India about water.

Like many educators, I was left speechless when I thought about this attack on a reputedly outstanding student in what should have been a safe place for him. But perhaps I should not have been so taken aback – because Fahad’s death was far from a unique aberration.

Unfortunately, acts of violence occur in almost every residential hall of Bangladesh’s public universities. Many of these buildings, students claim, amount to “torture cells”, where retribution is taken by student activists against those who publicly criticise the government’s policies.

Many of the 25 students charged in connection with Fahad’s death are members of the student wing of the Awami League, the ruling political party in Bangladesh. Students at several universities have held rallies to demand justice, and many people are now suggesting that student politics be banned from campuses altogether.

Such appalling incidents are a sad indication of how far student politics has fallen in recent decades. Students played a significant part in the efforts that led to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. Before that, they were pivotal in the 1950s campaign to recognise Bengali as the state language. And, more recently, they were in the vanguard of the pro-democracy movement that led to the overthrow of military rule in 1991.

In the democratic era, however, student politics has taken a nasty turn, becoming an extension of a national politics that is now rotten to the core. Political parties – especially when they are in power – use student activists as pawns in their own games, to shout down and intimidate the opponents.

So what can be done? We must first recognise that Fahad’s heinous murder happened because of the continuous shrinking of democratic spaces within universities, as well as a wider lack of tolerance in society and the routine misuse of power.

It seems extraordinary to have to state this, but the students need to be reminded that freedom of expression is enshrined in the constitution of Bangladesh. Dissent in a democracy should not be labelled as heresy. Rather than responding with violence, the onus is on government supporters to rebut it with political wit and reasoned argument.

A total ban on student politics would be counterproductive in the long run. But it is time to rethink student politics and to sever the partisan ties of student wings to national political parties. Their blind allegiance to those parties has corroded the essence of youth activism.

Students have the right to get involved in politics, but it has to be exercised for the students. Above all, students must be able to think critically and express their opinions freely. After all, a truly educated and politically conscious student should be critical of flawed government policy in a democracy.

Without addressing these root causes of the degeneration of Bangladeshi student politics, the ban on student-led political organisations imposed by BUET’s vice-chancellor four days after Fahad’s murder will not work. Political leadership from the very highest level is an imperative.

It must start by recognising that universities should be free from the shackles of politicisation and that their overriding priority should always be their students’ welfare and safety. Once this point is accepted by the politicians, university administrations will be able to move to rid student politics of partisan affiliation and return power to those socially engaged students excluded at present.

This will enhance the students’ critical reasoning, leadership skills, tolerance and empathy with their peers. It might even enable them to offer a genuine student voice – useful and accountable – within university governance. If that happens, students will be empowered to thrive within universities – and, in turn, help their institutions to prosper.

Sheikh Nahid Neazy is associate professor and chair of the department of English at Stamford University Bangladesh , in Dhaka. He can be contacted at [email protected] .

POSTSCRIPT:

Print headline: Do not label dissent as heresy

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Do we need student politics anymore?

Undeniably, student politics had a great impact on shaping our nation for years. But for the last few years, no significant contributions have been made for the welfare of the general students

Following the recent events at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the nation has come to an unconcluded debate about whether student politics should be continued in public universities. For the last few days, the protest against the establishment of politics in university campuses has reached its peak like never before. This has become the talk of the country, with lots of ambiguity and uncertainty. 

Reflecting on Bangladesh's history, student politics has long been an integral aspect of the country's social fabric. From the period spanning 1948 to 1971, the youth of Bangladesh consistently voiced their rights through successive protests, refusing to relent until their demands were met. Most of the protests ended in success, redeeming the rights of the students through perseverance and sacrifice.

Nevertheless, the dimension of student politics has changed over the last few decades. Over the last 15 years, the unbroken dominance of the ruling party in Bangladesh has limited space for opposition engagement in on-campus student politics. This has resulted in a one-party rule over all the public university campuses, fostering an environment of extreme monopolization. However, the monopoly turned into autonomy as there was no one left to speak against. 

Back in 2019, a student named Abrar Fahad was brutally beaten to death by some political activists of BUET. This event led to widespread outrage and prompted authorities to impose a ban on student politics within university premises. 

Since then, no political activity has taken place in BUET. Recent events have reignited tensions as the student wing of the ruling party seeks to reintroduce student politics at BUET. Despite this, both the majority of students and university authorities have shown little inclination towards reinstating student politics.

Undeniably, student politics had a great impact on shaping our nation for years. But for the last few years, no significant contributions have been made for the welfare of the general students. The student politics culture has significantly changed to power politics, creating imbalanced situations all over the campus.

Notably, most of the dorms are occupied by political activists, causing immense trouble to the resident students. Retaining seats for years after graduation, consuming food for free from the dorm canteens, engaging in extortion, and hundreds of other severe offenses have become a regular scenario in most of the public universities with active student politics. In most cases, the authorities remain silent even after being aware of all the wrongdoings. This system appeared to be unbreakable until BUET students stepped into a protest following the death of Abrar Fahad. 

As a former resident student of Dhaka University, I have witnessed firsthand the coercive nature of student politics, where newcomers are pressured into participating in political activities at the expense of academic commitments. Giving protocol to the political leaders caused missing important classes in many cases. The authorities never seemed to bother to take action against this power practice, resulting in no escape route for the general students.

Student politics is important to build the foundation of leadership among the students, but regular student-wing-based politics of Bangladesh has yielded more harm than good. The proposition of banning student politics risks closing the door to leadership development, yet the current model has significantly failed to make the scenario any better. 

In order to ensure check and balance with constructive politics, forming a student union is imperative. If the student wings of the mainstream political parties want to take the lead, they must come up with a student-friendly manifesto in order to face a free and fair election. The university authority should also step forward and take this responsibility to make sure everyone gets to have their voices heard through student unions. If Dhaka University can proceed with the DUCSU election after a long hiatus of 28 years, any university authority can do this if they have genuine interest in doing so.

Due to the low acceptance rate, only a handful students get selected in the public universities of Bangladesh. Given that public universities receive significant government funding for the benefit of their students, it is of the utmost importance to address the issues that now threaten the quality of education. 

Recent incidents in Buet have shown how the wider student population has rejected student political wings that have ties to mainstream political parties. It's time to reevaluate the situation so that universities can uphold each student's rights and foster a positive atmosphere for both education and politics.

ASM Kamrul Islam is a Lecturer, Green University of Bangladesh and a former student, University of Dhaka. Email: [email protected] .

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