To Whom It May Concern,
I went to Dhaka University, once known as the ‘Oxford of the East’, two days ago. I stayed there for a while, had a glass of carbonated soft drink and took a few selfies. I remembered my colorful student life, persistent academic activities and gatherings with my friends at Dhaka University. No doubt, many ex-students of the University of Dhaka sometimes go or want to go there and gather with friends. But the ex-students of Dhaka University are sometimes obstructed and cannot visit their former university campus because of student clashes and a few other causes. Moreover, and more relevant to the objective of this letter, student clashes hamper the educational activities of current students not only at Dhaka University but also at many other Universities in Bangladesh.
Undesirably, student clashes sometimes take place in many higher educational institutes in Bangladesh including Dhaka University frequently, though their severity has reduced in recent years. It is well-known that student clashes, which mainly occur between or among rival political groups of students, are mainly the result of differing political agendas and interests of student wings and their affiliated political parties. No doubt, such sorts of clashes, which have no positive educational and political impacts, are absent in universities in other countries. But the problem is that neither the university administration nor the affiliated main political parties make any significant efforts to end such clashes. Even if university administrations have become more active or are doing more in dealing with student clashes at present compared to the past, they are still not effective in dealing with or preventing such clashes.
Surely, clash-free educational institutes are desired in Bangladesh. This is because the absence of clash can lead to a range of educational and other outcomes including a better educational atmosphere, better educational outcomes, better developmental opportunities for students and better outcomes for universities. Notably, it can be difficult to make student politics in the universities of Bangladesh clash-free all of a sudden because of the complicated national political culture. But the willingness of political parties (instead of university administrations) having student wings alone can decisively end student clashes, although university administrations can reduce the extent of student clashes in universities. It is, thus, desired that student politics and educational institutes are made clash-free in Bangladesh and that there is political goodwill in this respect.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
