Educational institution under lock and key

Not only has the Chhatra Shibir called indefinite strike at the Chittagong Medical College, it has also put the college under lock and key. And all because it did not agree with the election schedule of the college students' council announced by the college authority. No one can condone students putting educational institution under lock and key for whatever reasons. All those who have the students' interest at heart must condemn such acts.

It is all the more preposterous when one considers the fact that the whole episode has been brought about as result of a clash between the students' wings of the coalition partners, the Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir. Shibir contends that the election schedule clashes with the exam schedule which will unsettle the students appearing in the exam, while the Dal's argument is that exams are a year round feature and would clash with the election programme whenever held.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

We can sees that there is a sudden spurt of campus violence and vitiation of academic atmosphere after a period of relative lull. And most of the violence is due to confrontation between student wings of the ruling coalition partners. It is resetting a dangerous trend.

Majority of the students of the higher seats of learning are serious in the pursuit of their studies but have suffered due to disruption in their education calendar caused by clashes between groups that are propped up primarily by the support of the major political parties.

We would like to hope that the government would take prompt steps to reopen Chittagong Medical College. No one has the right to play with the future of the common students, and more so since the parties involved in the confrontation causing the forced shutdown belong to the ruling coalition.