Student politics at BUET should be conducted in a disciplined manner

The great philosopher Aristotle said that politics is the fair solution of a problem through argument without coercion. In a society where various opinions prevail, conflicts are inevitable. However, if conflicts are approached with violence, only terrorism will proliferate. The primary aim of democratic consciousness is to reach decisions through rational debate. Sadly, in our society and state, coercion often takes precedence over reason.

Universities serve as the cradle of democratic consciousness and politics. Our nation's language movement, the uprising of '69, the liberation war of '71, and the subsequent downfall of the autocratic Ershad regime all bear testimony to this fact. These movements and struggles first arose among students, primarily from Dhaka University. However, over the past three decades, universities have fallen victim to apolitical tendencies. As a result, on one hand, students are forgetting their patriotism, and on the other hand, they are lagging behind in the fight for the oppressed.

Generally, students nowadays tend to be quite self-centered. They perceive education merely as a means to build their careers. They don't seem to care much about the country, society, or the state. Consequently, they prefer to avoid any form of 'anarchy' in the name of politics. Even parents and the general public fail to understand or realize the role of students. However, blaming them alone would not be entirely fair. This has led to a prevailing atmosphere of coercion in the overall political environment.

After the murder of Abrar Fahad, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), on October 7, 2019, student politics at BUET was suspended. BUET is a prestigious educational institution in the country where talented students come to study. The entire nation was shocked by Abrar's murder. In response, students initiated a strong movement demanding a ban on politics at BUET. Considering the students' demands, the administration issued a notification declaring a ban on student politics at BUET.

Since then, for the past four years, political activities of student organizations have been banned in this engineering university. However, deep into the night of last Thursday (March 27), a group of leaders and activists from the student wing of the ruling party entered the BUET campus, sparking a new wave of protests by students. Despite the ban on student politics, ordinary students view such incidents as the beginning of renewed political activities and express concerns about security. In light of these events, they have begun questioning the university administration and initiating protests.

Chhatra League gave a counter program to demand the reinstatement of student politics in BUET. They assemble at the Central Shaheed Minar on Sunday and promptly demand permission for student politics to resume on the BUET campus. Subsequently, some leaders and activists of Chhatra League pay homage at the Shaheed Minar on the BUET campus. Chhatra League alleges that BUET campus is becoming a base for their rivals (Shibir) as it remains politically inactive. However, BUET is witnessing an increase in extremist activities. This is something that cannot be tolerated.

On Monday, the expelled Imtiaz Hossain Rahim Rabbie filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the ban on student politics in the High Court. Following the hearing of his application, Justice M. Khosruzzaman and Justice K.M. Zahid Sarwar's bench issued a stay order on the ban on student politics at Buet alongside releasing a rule. The High Court stayed the administration's issued notification on Monday (April 1) after the conclusion of the hearing of the writ. Subsequently, lawyers have informed that there is no barrier to student politics at Buet from now on.

If student politics resumes at Buet, what process will it involve? Or will any kind of meeting be required to initiate politics? Such questions have arisen. Responding to such queries, Buet Vice-Chancellor Satya Prasad Majumdar said at a press conference on Monday, 'We cannot violate the court's order. We have to abide by the rules of our court. We will discuss this matter with our legal advisors.' The Vice-Chancellor also mentioned that to maintain a conducive environment for politics, discussions between students, teachers, and the administration will be necessary to find a way forward.

In this situation, there are also concerns among students about whether any unforeseen events will occur if student politics resumes. There is vigorous debate among students through social communication channels both in favor and against the reinstatement of student politics at BUET. The presence of problems in politics doesn't necessarily mean that politics itself should be abolished. Just as we don't sever our heads for a headache. Sound politics can be achieved through democratic means while prioritizing the values of patriotism, national unity, and humanism. This is the path that everyone should strive to find.