BCL: Hard facts

Photo: Iqbal Ahmed/DrikNews

FOLLOWING ushering in of the current government led by Bangladesh Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina, the objective media of the country constantly implored the government to discipline Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL). As a stern reaction to BCL activities, Sheikh Hasina even disowned that student outfit last year. Unfortunately, however, people claiming to be BCL leaders and workers are still engaged in criminal activities, sparing no thought whatsoever for the damage being done to the image of the government.
The government has achieved a few things in the more than one year it has been in power. It has been learnt from a Daily Star survey that though some ministers' performance has not been up to the mark, a good number of them, including Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Agriculture Minister Motia Chowdhury, Finance Minister A.M.A. Muhith, Food Minister Dr. Abdur Razzak and State Minister for Environment Dr. Hasan Mahmud, have just excelled in their performance.
The government's handling of the BDR massacre as well as execution of the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were commended at home and abroad. The government's steps for attaining food autarky, solving our long-standing power shortage, and using ICT for materialising its professed Digital Bangladesh agenda, have really exceeded people's expectations. Though the government has not been fully successful in controlling the price spiral, things have not gone totally out of control.
Unfortunately, however, BCL remains the government's Achilles heel. It boggles one's mind as to what has got into their heads. They are doing harm to the image of the government by being the subject of negative reports in the newspapers almost everyday. BCL could not wage any meaningful protest even during the two-year long military-backed caretaker government's rule, during which Sheikh Hasina was kept behind bars for a long time.
Insofar as building resistance against reactionary forces on the campuses is concerned, BCL has consistently been found wanting. In the recent past, they have even been battered by the reactionary forces on the Rajshahi University campus, in which Islami Chatra Shibir (ICS) revived their tendon-cutting specialty. In fact, most of the dominant student organisations of the country are tarred with the same brush, with ICS shining in brutality.
Regarding BCL's actions, even reactionary forces have mocked them in the recent past, which only pains the people who harbour progressive mindsets and are politically compassionate towards them. BCL is supposed to dominate the campuses by persuading the students to rally round them on the strength of their ideological orientations as well dedication to just causes of the students, which would indeed be a great service to themselves, to the country and, more so, to the party in power.
However, their constant wrongdoings are a disservice to the party in power. More importantly, political rivals of AL will no doubt pinpoint each of BCL's acts to capitalise on them. Thus, the prime minister has no option but to heal the long-standing Achilles' heel by reining them in. I dare say, BCL's misdeeds are looming large to undo all achievements of the government. Hopefully, those concerned will act rather than react before it is too late.

Kazi S.M. Khasrul Alam Quddusi is Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Chittagong. E-mail: [email protected].