Form bodies to stop ragging on campuses
The High Court yesterday directed the government to form anti-ragging committees and squads at all educational institutions, especially at universities and their affiliated colleges, within the next three months.
It also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why their failure to formulate a guideline to stop ragging at educational institutions should not be declared illegal.
Secretaries to the ministries of home and education, and University Grants Commission chairman and other officials concerned have been made respondents.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order and rule after Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan filed a writ petition on January 8.
During yesterday’s hearing, Ishrat told the court that ragging at educational institutions became a culture and therefore, first-year and second-year students were living in fear.
Citing an example, she said the Jahangirnagar University authorities suspended 11 students from all academic activities for a year in December last year, as they were found guilty of ragging some freshers.
The suspended are second-year students and they were involved in ragging on their seniors’ directives, the lawyer said.
The authorities concerned are not taking effective steps to prevent ragging, she said, adding that India has introduced a law to stop this at educational institutions.
Ishrat prayed to the HC to pass necessary orders on the authorities concerned to ban ragging at all educational institutions.
The anti-ragging committee receives complaints, while the anti-ragging squad takes actions, the lawyer told The Daily Star.
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