We are pleased with the recent decision by the Bangladeshi government to ban the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
Over the past decade and a half, it is safe to say that the BCL had been less of a student body of the previous Awami League and more of a battalion unleashing violence and terror on the general public whenever there was any dissent or opposition against the Awami League.
To that end, that the BCL is to be recognized as a terrorist organization from now onwards is also the right move, and a long time coming.
This is a significant step towards curbing the unfortunate culture of violence that has persisted in student politics in the country; while previous regimes are not without fault of their own with regard to their student bodies, the BCL enjoyed impunity at an unprecedented level, and are the worst examples of what a student political body should operate as.
Indeed, while banning the BCL is a long time coming, we must not gloss over the fact that student politics as it has been practised in Bangladesh has been marred by incidents of violence, intimidation, and factionalism. This banning of the BCL should only be the first step in the government sending a clear message: There is no room for such actions within a student body in our educational institutions.
Our universities and educational institutions should be a place for learning and personal growth, and certainly not a battleground for political rivalries. The overt presence of politically-affiliated student groups has led to an environment that has worsened education in the country. This cannot be allowed to continue.
The events of July and August have shown what our students are truly capable of -- without the need to align with political parties. We do not nor have ever needed the divisive influence of party politics to foster leadership within our students. It is time all students in the country embrace the ideals of the revolutionaries of July and August, focusing on issues that genuinely affect the nation.
