Editorial
Hospital service held hostage to student clashes!
Government needs to intervene
THE shutting down of Mitford Hospital outdoor department and emergency ward for hours on Sunday by BCL activists did show, once again, how the clashes between their two factions are creating all sorts of problems for the public.
The BCL activists were actually protesting an attack on them by fellow BCL boys. And this is definitely an area where outsiders cannot have much to do. The outdoor treatment seekers had to move to other hospitals which of course meant loss of time, energy and money. There was no way for them to learn beforehand that the outdoor department would remain shut down for such a long time. Even worse was the predicament of those in need of emergency medical attention. And all this was due to the fact that some activists of a student outfit decided unilaterally to bring everything to a halt in a hospital that caters to a huge number of people, particularly in the old part of the city.
Sadly, the student organisations engage in some sort of violent clashes almost every day. The BCL clashed with the Shibir in Chittagong Medical College Hospital on Saturday last and people were greatly worried by the ominous display of muscle power by the students brandishing lethal weapons. While Shibir's obscurantist agenda is cause for concern, no less disquieting is the tendency of the followers of the two major parties to turn violent at a moment's notice for attaining their objective of gaining control over the campuses.
It has been reported that the culprits responsible for such ugly manifestation of strident student politics always go unpunished. It is really not desirable that those facing specific charges are never brought to justice. The decision makers have to address the issue without giving virtual indemnity to student followers of any political party.
The AL high command has to take note of the harsh truth that BCL activists are becoming a source of embarrassment but a threat to their credibility endless worries to citizens -- regardless of their political identity. This is a situation that must be stemmed here and now and it is the AL leadership alone which can make sure that it is.
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