Chhatra League demands lifting student politics ban on Buet campus

Bangladesh Chhatra League has demanded the lift of the ban on student politics on the campus and giving back its leader Imtiaz Hossain Rabby his hall allotment within 24 hours. 

Earlier yesterday (30 March), the Buet students protesting against student politics on campus demanded the permanent expulsion of Rabby.

Quickly responding to that protest, the university authorities revoked Rabby's dormitory allotment. 

The ruling party's student wing started their counter-programme today (31 March) at 11:45am in front of Shaheed Minar, which is close to the Buet campus.

"We saw that one of our brothers participated in the Independence Day program inspired by the historic 7 March speech. Due to this act, his hall seat was taken away. We demand to the Buet administration to return Rabbi's seat within 24 hours," said Rajibul Islam Bappi, unit president of Dhaka metropolitan south.

"Otherwise, we will speak against those who speak against independence and no concessions will be made," he added.

During the protest, the Chhatra League leaders and activities termed the ban on student politics at Buet premises unconstitutional, anti-education and a breach of basic rights. 

While demanding to allow student politics on campus, the Chhatra League president also demanded that Buet authorities take steps to arrange elections for its student union.

Amid the bad weather in the morning, Buet students cancelled the third day's scheduled demonstration against political activities on the campus by the BCL men amid a ban on such activities.

The students were supposed to hold a sit-in programme from 7am on the premises of Shaheed Minar of the Buet campus.

In a text message to journalists, they wrote they would hold a press conference at 3pm on the next course of their protest. 

The Buet students' protest began on Friday (29 March) as students boycotted all sorts of academic activities as part of their protest. 

Despite the ban on student politics following the murder of student Abrar Fahad, a few leaders and activists of the Chhatra League allegedly entered the campus and carried out political activities on Wednesday (27 March) night. 

Expressing their anger at the incident, the protesting students placed several demands to the Buet administration in written form on Friday afternoon. 

The demands include the expulsion of students who assisted the Chhatra League leaders in entering the campus at night and an explanation from the university administration on why political activities have been allowed on the campus.

The Buet administration imposed a ban on student politics after Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of electrical and electronics engineering, was allegedly beaten to death by Chhatra League activists at Sher-e-Bangla Hall on 7 October 2019.

Later, on 8 December 2021, a Dhaka court sentenced 20 Buet students to death and five others to life imprisonment for the killing of Abrar.