Opinion
"We Don't Need No Education"
Please don't get panicked by reading the heading, it's just a line from a famous song of the band 'Pink Floyd,' which was sung as a protest against teachers who abuse students. Who needs education from such teachers? For the last few weeks the news must have spread all over the country that a female student of Dhaka University has raised an allegation of sexual harassment against a teacher. This news might have surprised many people and they might have wondered how a teacher from the best university of Bangladesh can do such thing, or they might even wonder if it is true or not. For them I have something to say as a student of DU.
This news doesn't surprise me at all, because almost every student of DU, particularly those of Social Science and Arts faculties are used to such news. During my four years of university life I have heard a lot of things like these about many teachers, as well about many students. Almost in every department if any female student gets a first class, or holds a good position in exams - inevitably a rumour spreads that she had some unacceptable relationship with a particular teacher (even teachers) who helped her doing well in the exams. There is however no proof against such allegations, but is it true. It is not in most of the cases I can assure that, but I just can't say it never happened. Yes, some chances of weakness might be taken by few teachers and as well by few female students. All these need investigation. I praise and support those students warm-heartedly who are at present demanding investigations of such allegations. But they must not forget that there might be few cases where the students might be the culprits.
I was surprised that for the first time a female student filed a written complaint to the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University that she was sexually harassed by a teacher (later I heard that similar types of complains were filed before and were never investigated, which is not surprising). At last, I said to myself, someone showed the courage. The question of equal right of woman will never see light if they never complain against man. The first step is to complain, then demand justice, then to fight for justice. I support all of those students who are at present fighting for justice.
I must say that not only the students of DU but also the students of all universities in the country, and all educational institutes should join with those students who are at present fighting for justice.
It surprised me that no leading student organisations of DU, and for that matter of whole Bangladesh, are doing anything for this situation. I am shocked that some students of DU brought out a procession few days ago against those students who are demanding investigation against the allegedly wrong-doers. I heard their speeches too. These students are saying that such demands are destroying the goodwill of DU, and this is done intentionally by some outsiders. This didn't end here - on December 27, 1998 around 1:00 pm these so-called goodwill protectors of Dhaka University went into action. They saved the goodwill of the university by stoning their rivals and injuring students in broad daylight, in front of many witnesses.
I have few questions for these so-called goodwill protectors of DU:
1) How the goodwill of DU is destroyed if only a few among hundreds of teachers of the institution are accused of harassment?
2) Why students of other institutions can't join with the students of DU and demand justice against something that violets student's rights?
3) What's the problem in investigating such allegations?
At the end I want to say that the goodwill of Dhaka University can't never be destroyed by teachers who sexually harass students, by students who do politics with firearms, by all those who have done lots of harm to general students in various ways. Because, whoever they are, they are very few in numbers, but Dhaka University had, has and will have great teachers and bright students all the time.
The writer is a Final-Year student at Department of Sociology in University of Dhaka.
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