Cost of self-destructive sabotage can be enormous

On Monday morning, I was utterly shocked after watching a video clip. Filmed from a distance, the video showed towering flames rising above the trees, lighting up the night sky. At first glance, I thought the footage was from Ukraine or Gaza. But soon I realised I was wrong. According to various media reports, it was not a scene of destruction from abroad, but from Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka—where students of Daffodil International University had vandalised and set fire to the campus of City University. As the day went on, the horror of the incident became even clearer.

Photographs showed a group of rioters wreaking havoc on City University’s vehicles, offices, classrooms, and indoor sports facilities, leaving behind a trail of devastation. Vehicles and the main gate of the university were set ablaze. The scene was reminiscent of medieval India, when invading forces would loot wealth and set fire to palace gates after capturing a state.

Who was responsible for this terrible incident, who instigated it—all that may come to light after proper investigation. But there is no doubt that the perpetrators were students of Daffodil International University. And that is what is truly frightening. Just think—what kind of generation are we raising, that can carry out such a destructive attack on an educational institution over a trivial incident? Who will stop these young people possessed by a frenzy for burning, smashing, and destroying? Who will control them? Who will teach them civility? Who will teach them tolerance and respect for others?

Since the uprising of 5 August, a disturbing trend has been spreading through the country’s educational institutions. Students of one institution are pouncing on those of another for the most trivial of reasons, driven by a bestial thirst for violence. Fights between students of Dhaka College and Dhaka City College have become routine affairs. One day one group attacks another; the next day others are seen tearing down signboards of rival institutions. No one seems to care. Remember last November? For almost the same petty reason, students of Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College launched a brutal attack on Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College in Old Dhaka. Even the Dhaka National Medical College Hospital came under assault.

Nor did it end there. The following day, on 25 November 2024, Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College itself was vandalised and looted—almost as if announced in advance. In broad daylight, before everyone’s eyes, the destruction and plundering took place. Needless to say, law enforcement agencies stood by as silent spectators, astonishingly inactive. It should be mentioned here that, after the political change on 5 August last year, the Bangladesh Police has been in a kind of trauma. Yet even after nearly a year, it is baffling that the police watched almost helplessly as City University was ravaged and looted.

Thankfully, there was no loss of life in this massive wave of destruction across educational institutions. That is a relief of sorts. But beneath the surface, a far more dangerous damage has already been done—one that many may not yet have noticed. It must be remembered that anarchy is contagious. Like a deadly virus, it infects and tempts people. It breeds a tendency to disregard the law, while encouraging conflict and violence. Since the events of 5 August, this same pattern has continued after a brief lull—destroying valuable state property and creating a self-destructive atmosphere of chaos.

Everyone must remember that in today’s internet age, the world fits in the palm of one’s hand. People can instantly know what is happening anywhere in the world; they can watch videos, often live. So think about it—when students of one Bangladeshi university burn and destroy another, what message does that send to the global audience? Does it foster a positive image of Bangladeshi students—or does it mark them as anarchists and hooligans? Many might think, why does it matter? But it does. It could severely reduce opportunities for Bangladeshi students to study abroad. It could create unwanted complications in visa issuance. Already, for various reasons, many countries are imposing new conditions on Bangladeshis for visas. Even countries in East and Southeast Asia are attaching humiliating requirements to Bangladeshi visa applicants—something deeply disgraceful for us as a nation.

Dr Kamrul Hasan, Professor of Physics at the University of Dhaka, is widely known as a conscientious and sensitive teacher. Following the self-destructive clash between students of City University and Daffodil International University, he expressed his frustration on social media, asking: “Have you ever heard of such an incident anywhere in the world—where students from two universities fight through the night, vandalising property? We already have Dhaka College vs City College, Dhaka College vs Ideal College, Dhaka College vs New Market fights, clashes between university students and villagers—can such things happen in any civilised country?”

Professor Kamrul Hasan’s question is entirely valid. Nowhere in the world do such vile and barbaric incidents take place. Not even in our neighbouring India. In West Bengal, Assam, or Meghalaya—regions close to Bangladesh in culture, language, and lifestyle—there are no such precedents either.

Since the change of regime following the uprising, law enforcement agencies and the interim government have remained largely inactive. Yet even before this, they were passive in the face of many campus conflicts—something that is gravely damaging Bangladesh’s image abroad.

One thing must be made clear: those who are committing these acts of anarchy and violence on campuses are not large in number. In fact, they are very few. But the harm they are causing is immense and far-reaching, spreading an extremely negative perception of Bangladesh’s education sector across the world. I fear that in the coming days, this impact could be devastating. This anarchy, lawlessness, and destruction must stop. No more such self-destructive events.

Rahat Minhaz: Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Jagannath University, Dhaka