Jahangirnagar University has made a habit of hitting the press for all the wrong reasons; on January 12 it was supposed to celebrate its 41st birthday, and the celebratory news that was supposed to appear on the following day was replaced by the news of a scuffle that broke out during a teachers' association meeting, leaving the newly elected President of JU Teachers' Association assaulted. Prof. Mamun Hossain is one of the most celebrated physicists that JU can be proud of; instead of celebrating his feat, he appears in news media as a defeated man. Where will I hide my shame? JU VC Prof. Shariff Enamul Kabir is a fellow of Royal Academy of Science with brilliant academic credentials, yet he has been dubbed as a "godfather" (Bangladesh Protidin, Jan 13). Where will I hide my shame?
The university is still mourning the death of Zubair, who was brutally murdered last week. Zubair's death could have been explained as an internecine clash of two groups of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). (Un)fortunately, the central committee of BCL does not even consider the validity of its JU wing, and Zubair had been keeping his distance from politics for the last one year. So who are the hooligans in the campus who carried out the attack on one of their former colleagues and friends? Who are the students who can wield power even after their central power supply is cut off?
Two of the students allegedly involved in the killing have already been arrested; the situation demanded scapegoats apparently two pawns had been sacrificed to secure the king in a game of chess. But why does education have to be an enactment of power in which students and teachers engage in power tussle? Why does university have to be a site of fear?
The fear of insecurity in the world is a constant quantity. Anyone who secures himself by wielding power makes someone else insecure somewhere else. So while some in JU are trying to secure their position, the other stakeholders of JU are feeling insecure. The tactics of divide and rule, creating diversions, and providing smoke-screens are time-tested and tried; the lizards shed off their wagging tails, for example. JU is no different. There are many wagging tails all around that the agitating stakeholders of JU need to be wary of.
The death of final year Honours student Zubair has made everyone anxious. In 1990, the stakeholders of JU got together and drove out Islamic Chhatra Shibir from the campus. JU did not consider the fact that the sponsors of ICS at that time were the alliance of then government BNP. The stakeholders of JU did not fear the aggression of Manik! Those who tried to secure their treasure saw a regime change instead.
Once again, the time has come to be united against violence in campus. The only way JU can regain its lost pride and self-esteem is by showing that it can make a difference by being resilient. It is not only known for its scenic beauty but also for its courage and determination that kept ICS away and contributed to an anti-sexual-harassment policy. Can JU be the pioneering public university to ban all forms of campus politics? Is it possible to be politically conscious without affiliating oneself with any factional politics?
Theoretically, none of the political bodies are linked to the central power organ. In the age of Bluetooth, you probably do not need cable connection to be linked to your motherboard. The events at JU suggest that some people are flexing muscles because they get support from a distance. Maybe, the killers of Zubair waited for the last exam to treat him a lesson so others of his kind are deterred from entering the campus. Reportedly, Zubair had verbal permission from the JU administration to sit for exams. Maybe the protection shield expired without the knowledge of the latest victim of campus politics.
You cannot have a proctor who fails in his duty to provide security to one of his students, and then allegedly assaults a colleague. You cannot have an administration that feels regionalism or factionalism is the litmus paper with which you test your loyalty. Read again: University has a universe in it.
These are the issues that are bothering the minds of JU teachers, students and staff alike. JU is a small part of the national body. But if a tooth aches, the whole body suffers. If JU is in pain, the whole country suffers. If there is a bad tooth, you pull it out; that is the sane thing to do!

The writer, a former teacher of Jahanginagar University, teaches English at Dhaka University.