Lately, the air of anxiety amongst private university faculty members, students, and their guardians have been thickening regarding active student politics inside the private university campus premises.
It is worth mentioning that, as a nation, we certainly tend to take pride in historical student movements in creation of Bangladesh and how those were integral in shaping her fate. Public universities have traditionally had committees of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL, the student wing of the ruling Awami League), Bangladesh Chhatra Dal (counterpart from Bangladesh Nationalist Party) and so on.
While these organizations keep boasting about their specific contributions at various moments in the past and some of which are well cited and acknowledged by the civil society, why should students of private universities be kept aside from this brand of politics?
First and foremost, it is important that we clarify exactly what is being feared?
Commoners are particularly afraid of the inclusion or activities of the aforementioned types of student bodies that are funded, patronized, and considered ancillary forces of parties that play a role in the national politics of Bangladesh.
If we really consider a group of students who might be believers of a particular political ideology, what harm can they possibly do? In fact, in an ideal nation, such involvement of students would be deemed to rather assist in the evolution of future leaders.
However, in Bangladesh, this image might be far from the truth.
These student wings of the major political parties, their university committees, university hall (dormitory) committees, and all other subordinate bodies make news every other day, with members involved with sexual harassment, rape, arson, and even murder.
And that is precisely why private university stakeholders are apprehensive; simply put, faculty members are probably frightened of being manhandled by so called political student leaders while guardians feel unsafe that their daughters would be harassed by the goons or their sons might be influenced towards narcotics.
Above all, most students who are least bothered about politics are afraid of contemplating the shift in their overall campus culture.
Because BCL is under the umbrella of the current government, and naturally presumed to exercise the power of impunity, controversies in the recent past arose once they declared private university committees.
Opinions in abundance were published in national dailies by academics and civil society members regarding the pros and mostly cons on the matter, however, this piece aims to shed light on the legality of the private university BCL committees that were created, and the extent of which they would be able to legitimize themselves in carrying out their operations within the campuses.
To begin with, it is noteworthy that BCL’s only legal status comes from the Awami League recognizing it as its student body, in its party constitution. So, this gives BCL some legal footing (even if their central committee declares subsidiary committees such as those for specific universities), considering the fact that Awami League is a registered party at the Election Commission of Bangladesh.
The constitution of Bangladesh guarantees the right of someone's political affiliation. Hence, involvement of an individual with BCL (of all forms) or as a matter of fact, any political group is more than welcome.
But can political groups lawfully function inside institutions?
To be able to legally form BCL organizations at private universities, an amendment would be required in the Private University Act of 2010. Since otherwise, a university would be able to exercise its own right in prohibiting any political forum of BCL calling themselves “official” to operate within the campuses.
The campus securities can bar them from holding meetings under the banner, disallow all forms of posters that are not authorized by the universities, take disciplinary actions against loud slogans that might hamper regular classes, and simply ensure the application of the university’s Code of Conduct.
But can that amendment in the law easily be made in the parliament? Yes, of course. The Awami League currently enjoys an overwhelming majority in the parliament after all.
Since it has also been reported that plenty of politicians are unfortunately known to use student strength for muscle and other political gains, they can actually make arrangements to get BCL established with air-conditioned offices in private universities, even next to the Vice-Chancellors’ if they deem fit.
Now the question is, are the lawmakers going to choose that path? Most likely not.
Why? Because the reactions of private university stakeholders portray something quite obvious -- education is the sole priority.
Things such as session jams due to political violence and chaos, the abuse of power by the political student leaders and activists in multiple spheres within the institutions, and risking the safety of particularly female students are clearly uncalled for.
Involvement of student groups affiliated with national political parties in Bangladesh have undoubtedly done more harm than good in recent times.
Leadership can still emerge in many ways from private universities such as the creation of students’ unions in private universities, introducing election for students’ clubs (such as the cultural club, the law club, film club etc) other than the usual practice of selection by club faculty advisors and so on.
These avenues would determine their popularity and leadership qualities, which they might as well use outside the campus in the national political arena -- once they graduate.
Saquib Rahman is a Senior Lecturer of law and the Faculty Advisor of the Ethics & Diversity Club at North South University.
