No formal committee or activities for now, Buet students urged to shape politics in their campus: BCL president

Bangladesh Chhatra League will abstain from announcing any formal committees or will not conduct political activities on Buet campus at the moment, instead opting to promote dialogue among Buet students to shape student politics within the university, said Saddam Hossain, president of Awami League's student wing.

"Today is a historical Day. We're not announcing any formal committee or political activities in the Buet campus right now, rather we will urge the general students of the engineering university to discuss, to take part in dialogues about how student politics will function within the campus," he said in a press briefing at Modhur Canteen today (2 April).

The statement comes in the wake of a High Court ruling issued yesterday (1 April), which stayed the ban on student politics at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

Apart from taking to the streets to ensure the right to practice student politics, BCL also fought to lift the ban on student politics in Buet campus legally, Saddam said.

"Our vision is to transform Buet into a globally renowned engineering institution. We envision student politics here to be modern, devoid of ragging, bullying, or any form of harassment. We aim to establish a student-friendly environment conducive to innovation and academic excellence," added Saddam Hossain.

Saddam Hossain reiterated, "The structure and direction of student politics at Buet will be decided by the students themselves."

The BCL president said the High Court's decision will stop the brain drain from Bangladesh.

During the press conference, the BCL president unveiled four key actions regarding the future course of Buet student politics.

These actions include organising a sit-in programme at Buet Shaheed Minar to demand the revocation of Imtiaz Rabby's residential dormitory allotment; hosting a cultural festival to oppose racial, fundamental and radical politics; facilitating a dialogue between students and the BCL; and initiating discussions with the authorities to establish Buet Chhatra Sangsad.

He, however, didn't announce any specific time and date for these activities.

"We will urge the students, former students, alumni and noted persons who graduated from Buet to discuss and participate in dialogues on how and in which way student politics can be resumed," Saddam further said.

Saddam also promised the BCL central committee will study the structures of student politics in top universities worldwide to develop a contemporary and student-friendly framework tailored for Buet.

Earlier on 30 March, Buet students boycotted all sorts of academic activities after witnessing the Chhatra League staging a protest in demand of bringing back political activities on the campus.

Despite the ban on student politics following the murder of student Abrar Fahad, a few leaders and activists of the Chhatra League allegedly entered the campus. They carried out political activities on 27 March night.

Expressing their anger at the incident, the protesting students placed several demands on the Buet administration in written form, including the expulsion of Intiaz Rabby and students who assisted him in entering the campus at night.

Quickly responding to that protest, the university authorities revoked Rabby's dormitory allotment.

On 31 March, the Chhatra League organised a counter-programme and demanded the lift of the ban on student politics on the campus and giving back its leader Imtiaz Hossain Rabby his hall allotment within 24 hours.