Editorial
Why Protect Them Then?
Clashes between student groups is a hallmark - dubiously enough - of our times in Bangladesh. Chhatra Dal was a student party that had a different genesis. Its progenitor was in power when he felt the need of a student wing to his party. But it nevertheless had its baptism of fire during the Ershadian autocracy. And came in line with BCL and BCU as a party not only after money and bullying power. But as soon as BNP was saddled in power, the fight that was in BCD was completely lost. They had only themselves to fight against.
On Sunday a BCL activist was stabbed by the student rowdies of a rival BCL faction. As if this was not bad enough, three BCL bullies were given a good hiding when they tried to extort money from a cattle auction at Savar Dairy farm. The nation is now passing through a wave of pre-Eid chandabazi. And one will be too willing to believe that the good name of the government is being used by genuine or fake BCL elements to take a goodly share of that.
BCL or BCD can go to hell for all one cares. But one cannot remain unconcerned over what that would mean by way of a new sweep of youth degeneration. And to come to think of this devilish scenario being fashioned very fundamentally by successive governments. The students were the key force in harvesting an overwhelming electoral victory for the Pakistan issue in 1946. Since then governments have always tended to depend on student support to go to power and keep it. They have been completely blind to the fact that students no more have that power with the people.
We appeal to the Prime Minister, either to bring BCL directly under AL discipline or let it be a truly independent activist group bereft of government backing. Thriving on government protection and caring little for party discipline - cannot simply go on. If the party chief does not put her foot down and stop it, the AL and the government who have already lost much of their credibility, would lose whatever is left of that to the detriment of the whole nation.
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