Fate of BCL, strict Hasina and flow of motorbikes

Following series of campus violence in Bangladesh by the student's wing named Bangladesh Chhatra League (Bangladesh Student's League) of the ruling party, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed resigned from the top position of the wing on April 4, 2009. Meanwhile, some leaders of BCL led by BCL president Mahmud Hasan Ripon and general secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton went to meet Hasina at her Hare Road residence. They waited about an hour until midnight but failed to see her. Later security personnel on duty at the residence of the Prime Minister suggested the BCL men to come back in the evening of April 6, 2009.

Nazmul said he and other leaders had earlier sat separately at Dhaka University Central Students Union office, and decided to press the BCL president and general secretary to request Hasina to return. Otherwise, they told the two that they would resign in a body.

AL's top policy-making body decided Saturday that Hasina would no longer be organizational head of BCL.

Party spokesperson Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters of the decision after a rushed meeting of the party's policymaking presidium, coming in the wake of a spate of on-campus violence by the BCL.

Asked about the fate of BCL after the decision, he said it would go continue to exist but added: "Chhatra League is beset with organizational problems for inefficiency of the central committee."

Ashraf also said AL was calling on all political parties, including opposition BNP, to resist terror and extortion in the name of student politics.

He said the government had ordered a crackdown on campus violence, extortion, tender rigging "by student leaders, members or activists, or anyone perpetrates such acts in the guise of students."

New party registration rules, introduced ahead of last year's general elections in Bangladesh, however, included amending party constitutions to get rid of all front organizations. Parties have until July this year to bring those amendments to bear.

The student wings are still seen as inextricably linked with their political parties, giving the ruling party more than a few headaches after the BCL violence.

In an editorial, Dhaka's leading English newspaper The Daily Star, commenting on the BCL clashes and resignation of Sheikh Hasina Wajed from the top position of this front organization of the ruling party wrote, “The decision taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down as the organisational chief of Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), following the latter's notorious activities across the campuses, has been received with mixed reaction by people in general. We would like to believe that it is not merely an expression of disgust but one of determination to cry a halt to BCL tyranny that has been wreaking havoc as much on higher education as people's confidence in the credibility of the ruling party and the government.

“It is no secret now that the internecine brawls that have been taking place at regular intervals among the various factions of BCL had no noteworthy cause. Groups of unruly, even knife-wielding students, fought over taking control of the organisational hierarchy, including business tenders, hostel seats, admission of new students and so on. The continued anarchy created stumbling blocks for the new government to ensure law and order on educational campuses. The recent premeditated killing of a BCL activist in a Dhaka Medical College hostel was the last straw on the camel's back, which left the nation aghast at the level of animosity prevailing between various factions in BCL.

“The PM's directive to law enforcement agencies to take stern action against so-called student leaders and activists involved in criminal activities, extortion and tender manipulation should be carried out to the hilt, we suggest, under the watch of the PMO. The role of a bystander that the police played so far should transform now into energetic action against the hoodlums.

“What the BCL wayward did ought to be treated as criminal offence and be tried under the law of the land. The PM's distancing herself from the AL student wing, unless followed up by strict and deterrent action, might turn out to be merely cosmetic. Hence, we would like to suggest that she should be firm in her pursuit of a long-lasting cure of the malady so that it does not reincarnate in any form or shape. Importantly, we believe, the PM and AL should keep the people informed about the actions taken against the rowdy elements of BCL.”

Student's wing of the ruling party started violent activities within campuses in Bangladesh soon after the landslide victory of Awami League led Grand Alliance in the general election of December 29, 2008.

Dhakaites were witnessing appearance of hundreds of newly purchased motorbikes on the roads with AFR (Applied for registration) plate. BCL men (atleast 2 in every bike) are seek patrolling in campus areas as well as in various residential and commencial areas in the capital and other parts of the country. These boys, by using the title of BCL are continuing extortion and various other forms of crime and corruption in the country. It is even reported that, some of the student leaders of BCL have taken control of under-ground drug dealings in Bangladesh. It was even stated that many non-students were also active in extortion and terrorism under the garb of BCL activist.

Whether Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed with witdraw her resignation from the top position in her party's student wing is till uncertain. But, it is evidently proved that the government has absolutely failed to control terrorism by their own activists.

Awami League government is facing several challenges in present days. One is for sure, the coping with the global recession, which causes severe reduce in country's export earning as well return of thousands of Bangladeshi workers from various countries. Second challenge although is law and order situation, since December 29, 2008, most of the violent actions in the country are committed by none but the student and youth fronts of the ruling party itself. Members of law enforcing agencies always feel hesitatnt in taking any action against those 'powerful quarters' for obvious reason. But, the biggest challenge for the present government in Bangladesh is to ensure speedy investigation into the case of BDR Massacre (Massacre inside Bangladesh Riffles that took place during February 25-26, 2009 killing more than 50 army officers and physical abuse of members of their families) and trial of the killers, collaborators and instigators of this massacre. Although there is popular demand of trying the killers, collaborators and instigators in Court Martial, pro-Awami League quarters are continuing to demand trial in existing courts of the land.

The much awaited investigation report of the BDR massacre is very crucial for the ruling Grand Alliance in Bangladesh. If a neutral and acceptable report can finally be published, it will surely ease the angers of the members of Bangladesh Armed Forces and families of the murdered officers. If not, things will be really uncertain and unknown!