The latest expulsion of three students from Chhatra League and suspension from Dhaka University for their involvement in mugging and torturing a covered van driver has led to public outcry on social media and campuses, with educationists expressing concerns about the recurrence of such misconduct.
There have been many reports of the DU unit of the ruling party's student body members being involved in criminality, mainly snatching, extortion and drug peddling, over the past 12 years.
Not only at DU, but students engaged in criminal activities are also reported in other public and private university and college campuses, highways and tourist spots. In many cases, the offenders somehow get membership in the ruling party or operate under the shelter of an influential leader who helps them evade legal action.
The media reported a similar trend two decades ago when the BNP was in power. At the time, leaders and activists of the BNP's student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), were found involved in criminal activities. On the other hand, many members of the Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, join armed militant groups and become involved in political killings.
Dhaka Tribune talked with several senior professors and student leaders to find out why university students engage in criminal activities.
Experts point out unruly lifestyles, drug addiction, lack of supervision by the authorities and absence of enforcement of laws as the key reasons behind the situation.
The three students punished by the DU authorities stand accused of tarnishing the university's image by engaging in misconduct and anti-discipline activities. They are Fazle Naveed Anon of the Theatre and Performance Studies Department, Rahat Rahman of the Management Information Systems Department, and Sadiq Ahmed of the Social Welfare and Research Institute.
On Tuesday, they were also asked to explain within seven working why they should not be expelled from the university.
Earlier on Sunday, Chhatra League expelled 21 members from four universities and a college, including the trio, for their involvement in robberies, extortion, clashes and other criminal activities.
What are senior professors saying?
DU Pro-VC Dr ASM Maksud Kamal identified some reasons while talking with Dhaka Tribune. “One of the main reasons is that Dhaka University admits more students than it can accommodate. That is why we cannot engage them all in academic activities.
“There are some departments and subjects where the department cannot get the students involved in classes, assignments and extracurricular activities. That is why students get idle time, which increases criminal tendency in their minds.”
A teacher at the Department of Disaster Science and Climate Resilience, Prof Maksud added: “Due to the huge number of students, it is very hard to monitor all of their activities on the campus. However, we engage them in knowledge-based work to boost their morality and values.”
He admitted that the phycological counselling needed for the students was not adequate.
Dr Sadeka Halim, professor and chairperson of DU's sociology department, said: “Not only at public universities, but criminal activities are also occurring among the private universities students.”
She explained: “Dhaka University and other public and private universities are not isolated islands of Bangladesh. Criminal activities like robbery and mugging often happen in the country.
“Nowadays, mainly children from lower-income, lower-middle-income and middle-income families are getting admission into public universities. It has created a vacuum of social diversity at public universities. That is why students are getting involved in criminal activities.”
Dr Sadeka admits monitoring and providing counselling for more than 40,000 students was tough. “In fact, they are not getting adequate space on the university compound to refresh their minds since Dhaka University is located at the heart of the capital city. The students share roads with thousands of outsiders and commuters every day. In other countries, universities are usually located outside the cities, and there are some rules and regulations for the students. But these are missing here,” she added.
Turning to the economic crisis, she continued: “After the Covid-19 lockdown and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, many university students who were dependent on tuition have lost their jobs. In other countries, students can get a loan from their universities to complete their studies and repay it after getting a job. But there is no scope for it in Bangladesh.
“I am not saying that this is why students are getting involved in muggings, but all of these crises impact the students' minds…which may provoke them into committing some criminal acts.”
To stop the recurrence of such incidents, she said, students should be informed about the rules and disciplinary guidelines during admission while proper phycological counselling is also needed.
What student leaders say
“We never expect any criminal activities from university students,” said Chhatra League DU unit General Secretary Tanbir Hasan Shaikat while talking with Dhaka Tribune on Thursday.
Shaikat was awarded the "Real Life Heroes" by the United Nations in 2020 for his voluntary work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As an organization, we have taken action against those who are involved in such criminal activities at Dhaka University. Only organizational and academic punishment is not the solution. We must find out why adult university students are involved in criminal activities.”
He said the organization had urged the university authorities to sit with the students and ask why they were doing this. “We are also increasing cultural and co-cultural activities to bolster social values and norms.”
Hussain Saddam, president of Chhatra League, who previously served as one of the top leaders of the DU unit, thinks zero tolerance by law enforcement agencies and the university authorities could prevent these types of criminal activities by university students.
Saddam thinks that a lack of social norms and values, malpractices in other student organizations, and the ragging culture lead to some students committing criminal offences.
“Zero tolerance against the ragging culture and negative politics can prevent these criminal activities. At the same time, cultural and sports activities at the university level are helpful too,” he added.