Rucsu GS Ammar takes down teacher’s banner greeting Tarique Rahman

A banner greeting BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman at Rajshahi University was taken down yesterday (18 January) by the General Secretary (GS) of the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu), Salahuddin Ammar, sparking widespread debate on social media.

The banner had been put up on Paris Road, in front of the Shaheed Intellectuals Memorial on campus, by Professor Muhammad Nesar Uddin Talukdar of the Department of Arabic, who is also the president of the Rajshahi district unit of Zia Parishad.

Earlier in the day, at around 11:30am, Salahuddin Ammar issued an ultimatum via a post on his verified Facebook account, asking Professor Nesar Uddin to remove the banner by 2pm. When it was not removed, the Rucsu GS said he personally tore it down in the afternoon.

Sharing a video of the incident on Facebook, Salahuddin wrote that he had drawn the teacher's attention and requested the banner's removal within the given time. "He did not remove it. So, as a student, I tore it down myself," he said, adding that he would oppose any form of partisan politics on campus, particularly by teachers. He criticised what he described as "teacher politics," claiming it undermines education and turns individuals into "political agents."

In the same post, he also addressed Jamaat-e-Islami, saying the same message applied to them, although he claimed that no party banners, rallies, or meetings by Jamaat had been seen on the campus so far. "You may belong to any party and do politics, but do it outside the campus," he wrote.

Explaining his stance in an earlier post, Salahuddin cited the Rajshahi University Ordinance of 1973, Section 55(2), which, he said, prohibits partisan political activities and campaigning on campus, as well as the use of teachers' associations as political platforms.

Responding to the incident, Professor Muhammad Nesar Uddin Talukdar said under the constitution, Zia Parishad is a non-political organisation. He described the act of publicly tearing down the banner as a sign of ignorance and arrogance. "This is an extreme level of indecency," he said, adding that he strongly protested the action and rejected it with "hatred."

The incident triggered mixed reactions on Facebook. Former RUCSU assistant general secretary (AGS) candidate Md Sajibur Rahman wrote that those now speaking out about teacher and student politics were being hypocritical. He urged Rucsu representatives to focus on solving the campus' many problems rather than pursuing political agendas.

Kaysar Ahmed, treasurer of one faction of the university unit of the Students' Union, commented that teachers, officers and staff could engage in "covert politics" if they wished. He sarcastically suggested that avoiding banners and posters would save money and prevent them from being torn down, adding that "covert politics" had previously enabled individuals to rise to prominent student leadership positions.