When it comes to the transgressions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, for too long AL leaders have looked the other way. It is high time the government took stringent measures against the thuggish activities of BCL leaders and activists.
In the past four years, BCL activists have been booked for murdering at least 26 people. In May alone, not only did eight BCL activists allegedly assault a political leader who was visiting the Chittagong University campus, they also attacked a Chhatra Dal supporter at Dhaka University, whom they suspected of being a Shibir activist. In another incident, BCL members confined and assaulted eight reporters who had gone to Jagannath University to collect information about an attack on that campus.
Just this week on the Rajshahi University campus, a BCL leader assaulted a young woman for refusing his proposal. This trend is disturbing to say the least, and we hope the investigation underway is accompanied by swift disciplinary action.
This is not to say that other cadres have not been innocent of any wrongdoing. Indeed, reports of such attacks over the years reveal otherwise. Until we see party leaders bringing their activists under control, such attacks will continue.
No one should be exempt from the laws that govern this nation. Neither BCL activists nor any member of any other group should be allowed to dole out street justice at will, violating our basic rights and flouting our laws.