IT was really encouraging for all to hear that President and Chancellor of Universities Muhammad Abdul Hamid call upon everybody to hold Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) election to avoid leadership vacuum in the country.
The President emphasized on participation in politics by regular students. Current student politics shows predominance of leaders who have completed their academic life a long time ago. Befittingly he illustrated his speech by citing examples of his own life. He could not get admission to Dhaka University where many of his friends were admitted. He was admitted to Gurudayal College, Kishoregonj, which was an affiliated institution of Dhaka University. He did his graduation from there and now he is the Chancellor of all public and private Universities in the country by the grace of Allah.
It makes me recall my childhood days as my father Advocate Muezzul Islam BL returned to his home town in 1947 from Kolkata. He was posted at Kishoreganj, Gopalganj and Barisal as Lawyer Magistrate before he joined the bar in 1954.
As ill luck would have it my elder brother Fakhrul Islam who was a brilliant student of the university passed away in 1949 at Kishoregonj and was laid to rest there.
The President said he got his first lesson in politics through students' politics which was much different from what it is now. In 1960s those who were involved with politics had welfare of the country and nation uppermost in their mind. There was no room for individual and group interests. Students were looked upon by the common people with respect. We, the students of 1961 batch of Dhaka University shared the same feelings.
The President dwelt on the matter with elaborate description of his own experience which should not escape the attention of the university teachers of today. The Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid cannot lose sight of the issue. Other student leaders of my time such as ministers Motia Chowdhury and Hasanul Haque Inu should take the call by the Honourable President into cognizance.
University teachers hold their annual teachers association elections regularly irrespective of the political party in power. But keeping the DUCSU elections in abeyance since 1991 is really unfortunate and mysterious. The Education Minister should take up the matter on a priority basis and instruct the authorities concerned to resume DUCSU elections immediately.
Muhammad Quamrul Islam
[email protected]
- Saturday, 18 May 2024 |
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