Student Social Welfare, a platform of general students, at the auditorium of Dhaka College.Photo: collected

DHAKA, Jan 09, 2025 (BSS)- Speakers at a dialogue here today said student council elections must be held soon in all educational institutions to avoid the politics of sycophancy.

They also underlined the importance of regular conference of the student organizations, stop allocation of seats in dormitories based on political considerations and promote ideology based student politics.

The dialogue titled ‘Pariborttoner Chhatra Rajniti’ was held under the banner of Student Social Welfare, a platform of general students, at the auditorium of Dhaka College.

Principal of the college Prof. AKM Elias chaired the dialogue conducted by Dhaka College students Kefayet Hossain and Abu Sayem. Leaders of different student organizations took part in the discussion.
 
Taking part in the discussion Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad general secretary Nazmul Hasan said scope has been created for student organizations to pursue politics independently as they were barred from doing this during the regime of previous government.

Stressing the importance of regular student council election, he said, student council is the best forum to speak for the rights of the common students.

Human rights activist Sayed Abdullah termed ousted Awami League and Chhatra League as their common enemy saying every student must remain vigilant and united to prevent them from returning to politics.

“If we do not learn from the fall of fascist Awami League government, the situation will not be better for anyone in future," he said adding that no student should be forced to do politics in the campus.

Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and Ganatantrik Chhatra Jote coordinator Salman Siddique said ousting the Awami League from power by the students would remain as a golden chapter in the political history of Bangladesh.

“If anyone wants to establish fascism in the future, they will have to suffer the same fate. Common people can bring any change if they unite,” he said.

Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh secretary general Sheikh Mahbubur Rahman Nahian said in the past the political parties used their student wings as a tool to come to power. This type of student politics needs to be changed, he said.

Merit should not be the only criterion for student politics; he said adding students must nurture morality, ethics and values.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Dhaka College unit member secretary Millad Hossain said there is no alternative to student politics to fight against autocratic regimes like Ershad and Sheikh Hasina.

Professor Anwar Mahmud of Islamic History and Culture Department of Dhaka College, Chhatra Dal Cumilla University unit joint convenor Safayat Sajal, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir Dhaka College unit international affairs secretary Abdur Rahman Affan, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front Dhaka College unit president Nahian Rahman Rahat, Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad Dhaka College unit president Kamal Hossain Sumon and Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh Dhaka College unit president Md Ridwanul Haque, among others, took part in the dialogue.

Chair of the dialogue Prof. AKM Elias said student politics should be concentrated on the welfare of students, their expectations and demands. Student politics would be fair if all these things remain clear to student leaders.