Attack on RPI principal reprehensible
Students dragging a principal by his neck and throwing him into a pond is an unthinkable act. However, in Rajshahi this is exactly what happened when some activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), led by the institute's BCL unit joint secretary, attacked the principal of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute (RPI). All because, the principal—a man of ethics—did not give in to BCL's ludicrous and whimsical demands, including allowing two of its members to appear for examinations, despite them not meeting class attendance requirements.
This incident once again brings to light a persistent problem within the student wing of the Awami League: the belligerence of BCL that has probably been reinforced by the impunity they have been accorded by the ruling party for the crimes they keep committing. Over the last decade, the power of BCL has increased manifold, to an extent where they not only bully students, teachers and senior administrators of educational institutions, including universities, but also illegally extort money from university authorities and physically torture students in the "torture cells" that they maintain at residential halls for students—a dark reality brought to light by the recent death of Buet student Abrar Fahad. According to newspaper reports, a similar "torture cell" has been found at the RPI by an investigation committee. How dare the BCL commit such an act of atrocity? The attack on the principal was essentially an attempt to murder; the principal might have drowned had he not known how to swim.
The fact that such attacks are still being carried out, despite the ruling party's assertion that they would not tolerate such bellicosity of BCL, reveals the uncaring attitude of BCL towards their parent organisation or the rule of law, for that matter. The prime minister, through her actions, has sent a strong message to the BCL, which has either not reached them or the BCL is simply impervious to the warnings of their party head.
The Awami League's formula to contain the spiralling problem of BCL's activities by expelling party activists is clearly not working. It is high time the party considered legal measures against unruly elements of the BCL in order to demonstrate that no one is above the law. It can start by taking stern legal actions against those BCL activists who have been found involved in crimes; these elements should be brought under legal proceedings. Otherwise, BCL's culture of terror will be irreparably detrimental to our education system, destroying an essential pillar of our nation.
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