Zero tolerance to vandalism
I fully appreciate the DS editorial of 12 Jan under the caption "Demonstrate Zero Tolerance to Vandalism". In fact, this culture of vandalism by students started in our country since our independence. This culture took the present shape in course of time. Initially, some fortune seekers, especially the political leaders, trade union leaders, group leaders of teachers of different ideologies of politics in universities and colleges down to the school levels used the students as their mini-musclemen for their personal or small collective gains.
We have noticed principals of some colleges used their students sending them to streets to protect their position as principals. However, at the initial stage the students' violent activities were confined within the premises of their institutions like "abstention from classes and boycotting of exams" etc. They did not venture into streets and destroy public properties as they do now. Lately the politicians found this muscle power as a best, effective, lucrative and safe leverage to use it for their political gains. Nowadays every political party has a student front.
The political parties, for their party interests started creating their strong base by recruiting students as their front leaders giving few of them some pecuniary benefits. By doing so, the politicians have destroyed the guiding principle of a student-- study for career building.
We all remember, once the campus of Dhaka University was named "Village of Docoits".
I appreciate the DS suggestions but strongly feel that your suggestions are weak and insufficient to stop this unlawful behaviour of students. I feel only academic instructions by the parents and teachers will not stop them. There should be some law to handle the situation. I suggest some punitive
action like (a) A student engaged in vandalism should be punished by cancelling one academic year (b) Non-students and outsiders should be jailed for six months by summary trial by magistrates.
Road accidents happen everywhere in the world. But no one takes the law in his hands. The government is the custodian of individual security of every citizen. A deterrent law is required to save properties of innocent people.
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