Ex-leaders for elections to student bodies

Some former student leaders yesterday stressed the need for elections to student bodies at different universities and colleges across the country to revive healthy student politics and protect the rights of students.
According to them, student leadership could not flourish in last few decades and student politics is now on the verge of decay for the absence of the elections. So it has become an urgent need to hold the elections within the shortest time possible, they said.
The opinion came from the unveiling ceremony of a book titled “Bangladesher Chhatra Andolaner Otit Bortaman O Bhabishyat” (Present, Past, and Future of Student Movement of Bangladesh) at Dhaka University (DU).
The book is authored by Awami League (AL) leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, also former vice-president (VP) of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU).
AL leader Tofail Ahmed said student politics should be controlled by students and their elected representatives only, not by national leaders.
“During our time, the national leaders cared for us, but they did not set us in leadership. But today, the national leaders set their chosen men in student leadership. This is the main reason for decay in student politics,” Tofail, also the former VP of DUCSU.
Former AL general secretary Abdul Jalil said now the country's politics in not controlled by politicians; rather politics has gone into the grip of businessmen and millionaires.
Demanding elections to all student unions, AL leader Suranjit Sengupta said student leaders should learn democratic practice from their student politics.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim criticised the so-called civil society men who talk for de-politicisation of students and said opportunity should be created for the youth for healthy student politics.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) President ASM Abdur Rob, Workers Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon, and former president of DU Teachers' Association Prof Sharifullah Bhuiyan were present at the event.