Dirty politics makes CU students' future uncertain

The ruling party and its student wing always rule the roost taking the power-backup as 'granted' while other parties follow suit .

You cannot blame a single party or fact for the most undesirable things that happen on regular basis on the campus, vitiating the academic atmosphere, some guardians said.

However, the volatile situations this time has had its uniqueness a bit, according to general students, teachers and guardians.

They blamed the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), student wings of two ruling coalition partners, for the recent happenings on the campus.

Two JCD factions, backed by two ministers have been creating disturbance on the campus with some motives, sources said. Another JCD faction led by university unit president and general secretary want removal of Vice Chancellor Prof AJM Nuruddin Chowdhury.

Some senior teachers of BNP-Jamaat-backed 'white panel' are also using the JCD cadres for changes in the administration, sources said, adding that they want immediate departure of VC Nuruddin from his office and 'the recent violence on the campus had surely a link to it.'

Some senior teachers led by former pro-vice chancellor Prof Dr. M Badiul Alam visited Hawa Bhaban in the capital last week reportedly to talk to the BNP lawmakers in this regard. And the recent JCD rampage on the campus was the outcome of the visit, source added.

The JCD cadres created panic on the campus attacking the general students and Progressive Student Alliance (PSA) activists last week aiming at deferring their April 24 council, another source said. Some insiders said that JCD President Md Selim and General Secretary MR Chow-dhury Milton wanted to defer the council as they might be dropped from the next committee. But Milton said he wanted the council to be held in time as he would likely to be made president of the new committee.

However, Shibir President Jahid Hossain Bhuiyan said that the JCD rampage is nothing but to establish supremacy on the campus.

A section of pro-BNP teachers started lobbying to unseat Prof Nuruddin since his appointment as VC in 2002, sources said. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr M Shamsuddin is reportedly patronising them to get promoted as VC, sources added.

Prof Badiul Alam is also lobbying the high-ups of government for the post. Selim and Milton with the support of a local minister created the chaotic situation on the campus in a planned way to materialise Prof Badiul Alam's plan, a senior teacher said.

At least 40 students including PSA activists were injured in a series of JCD attacks last week.

Prof Nuruddin said that a vested quarter is trying to destroy the congenial atmosphere on the campus. He said that a 'conspiracy' is going on against him and nobody would be allowed to keep CU hostage in the name of 'meaningless' politics.

Prof Badiul Alam, however, denied allegations against him but said the VC has failed to run the university smoothly.