Dhaka University (DU) Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan has reasserted the authority’s ban on political activities at student dormitories amid strong protests against Chhatra Dal’s latest efforts to revive the practice.
The vice chancellor had to reiterate his pledge to enforce the ban, originally imposed last September, after students denounced his unwillingness to implement a complete ban on dormitory-centric politics.
Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan made the pledge during talks with protesting students in front of his residence around 2:30am Saturday. Securing his pledge regarding a complete ban, the protesters, numbering in thousands, began returning to their respective dormitories.
However, as of filing of this report at 3:00am, they were continuing their demonstrations inside dormitories.
Earlier, at 12:00am, students from at least seven dormitories brought processions in front of the vice chancellor’s residence, demanding Chhatra Dal withdraw its convening committees announced Friday morning.
They denounced the “weakness” shown by the vice chancellor and university authority in scrapping the committees.
BNP’s student wing announced the committees in all the 18 student dormitories of the university, apparently violating the authority’s September ban.
However, the authority took no measure against the announcement, despite students from three women-only dormitories submitting separate memorandums demanding enforcement of the ban on the Chhatra Dal committees on Friday afternoon.
Later, students launched wide-scale demonstrations, demanding the university administration honour last year’s 17 July decision taken by general students and dormitory officials to prevent student politics in dormitories.
Meeting them in front of his residence, Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan assured them of honouring the 17 July commitment.
However, he said he would discuss with Chhatra Dal leaders on scrapping the dormitory convening committees. He also said student politics in dormitories will be “controlled” and not “completely banned.” Angered, the students demanded complete abrogation of dormitory-based student politics.
They also demanded the cancellation of residential facilities for, all members of Chhatra Dal convening committees, an official apology from Chhatra Dal central leadership, scrapping of all dormitory-level secret and visible committees of all partisan student organisations, apology from the university authority for showing weakness, and holding the DUCSU polls in due time.
