Activists of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement must show more sense of responsibility

In the unprecedented mass uprising of July-August, the students played a central leadership role. It was at the students' call that the people across the country responded. Ordinary men, women, and even children left their homes and joined the movement. The selfless dedication of the students deeply touched the people of the entire nation. However, since the mass uprising, students have been increasingly becoming questionable in various ways. The reason is that they are taking justice into their own hands, dividing into different factions, and calling for protests on any pretext — blocking roads and even attacking various government and private institutions without hesitation. This has caused the country's law and order situation to become precarious, as the government has not taken any significant action against them. But recently, an incident in the capital's Kalabagan police station area, where 14 people, including the leader of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, were arrested during an attack and vandalism on a business establishment, has truly shocked the people of the country.

According to news reports published on Saturday (March 8), the police informed that they were arrested from the scene on Friday afternoon. Regarding this, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mukhtaruzzaman of Kalabagan Police Station told the media that the leader of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Kalabagan, Salahuddin Salman, along with 14 others, demanded extortion and attacked a business establishment owned by a person named Sheikh Kabir at a building in Rasel Square. Upon receiving this information, the police and army arrived at the scene and arrested them.

The affected businessman, Sheikh Kabir, alleged that the attackers entered his office, caused extensive damage, and looted some cash and four computers. Police officer Mukhtaruzzaman stated that the arrested individuals claimed they had gone to the building after hearing that there was an Awami League office there. When journalists asked whether an Awami League office was found at the scene, the OC clarified that there was no Awami League office, and it was Sheikh Kabir's personal business office.

Local business owners have strongly condemned the incident and called for increased security for business establishments. On the other hand, no response has been received from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement regarding the incident. There have been questions raised for several days about such activities by students outside the law enforcement agencies. On Thursday, the Home Affairs Adviser, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, said that no one, except the law enforcement agencies, is allowed to carry out any operations. If students continue to conduct such operations, and if allegations of looting money and property are raised against them, then they will be responsible for it.

The central coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement must be more active in this regard. Such misconduct by a few will taint the entire student body. This must not be allowed to happen. The students are our future, and if this continues, the general public may no longer respond to students' calls. The government must also be more vigilant on this matter and ensure that students are not given a free pass if they are involved in any form of irregularity or corruption. Especially those who are committing the heinous crime of taking justice into their own hands must be brought under the purview of the state justice system. The activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement must also demonstrate more responsibility in this regard. They must ensure that they are not put in a position where they can be questioned.