Hiren Pandit: The Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Man is by nature a social and political creature, and he who does not live in society is neither an animal nor a god” – again, “Men is the best of animals when he is perfect or wise and when he is separated from law and justice.”When he goes, he is the worst animal’.Socrates, known as the master of the wise, has a saying that an apolitical man has no soul.Those who have no soul are inanimate.Material things have no demand;therefore, they have no politics.But even if people do not directly join political parties, they cannot stay out of politics, and neither can talented people.
Politics is not only the principles of governance of citizens and states but also the effort to obtain the necessities of life, the exercise of vote, and the awareness of civic duties and responsibilities. We don’t do politics, we don’t like politics, and the generation that grows up with this attitude is dangerous for the country.There are thousands of problems in politics, there can be.Then our faith politics is our last hope.But politics is not closed.Instead, the vacuum of healthy politics is filled by apolitical and bad power.
The independence movement in Bangladesh took place by the Chhatra League.Our language movement has been in a momentum by the Chhatra League.The history of the liberation struggle of Bangladesh is the history of the Chhatra League.However, the Chhatra League should also carry forward the ideals of Bangabandhu and do politics. Students are the future of a nation.The student who is now being educated in justice, ideals, values, and self-education, can one day become an artist to change the destiny of the nation.The role of student society in the political and social history of Bangladesh is the most prominent.If we look at the history of the development of the promising country Bangladesh, it will be seen that the student movement has become a source of freedom from all chains, injustice, and autocratic rule.
The language movement of 1952, the education movement of 1962, the six-point movement of 1966, the popular uprising of 1969, the elections of 1970, the liberation war of 1971, and the anti-dictatorship movement ended on December 6, 1990. A lot of propaganda for and against student politics is going on.In terms of the campus politics of the country, almost all the universities of Bangladesh have excellent political practices.Conscious circles have always said that student politics must be opened up in the university, to prevent the fundamentalist trend that started after 1975 and is becoming politically active in various campuses.
We have seen evidence of leadership formation through student politics.Students have played a very important role in anti-dictatorship or military rule.It was possible because of student politics.So, it is never the right decision to close this open field of politics.The court applauded the student politics. With time, politics is now a very popular subject, and people from different classes and professions want to join politics.The reason for this desire is that politics provides an opportunity to serve people.This trend started in 1981.After returning to the country on May 17, 1981, the daughter of Bangabandhu is constantly rebuilding that path.
Not only BUET but many children with good results do not think about the country, the politics of the country, or the hustle and bustle of the country.When they go abroad with the passed certificate, they will be fine.The feeling cannot be good in this country!Those who go abroad again become immigrants or pursue higher education.Later returned to the country very little.Even they contribute very little to remittances from abroad. Many people will be surprised to see the statistics of how many scientists, doctors, engineers, professors, and famous professionals are sent to the country.The bulk of the remittance and foreign exchange-earners come from the long hours of uninterrupted labor of our garment worker brothers and sisters and a large part comes from the money earned in exchange forhard labor of our more than 1 crore 22 lakh 55 thousand less educated or untrained brothers and sisters working as migrant worker abroad.
If you look at the posts of people who have gone to foreign countries, it seems that they are proud to be in these so-called countries, be it in any condition, be it with respect or with dishonor!and they are happy to make all time to make derogatory remarks about the motherland. Those who say that there is no need for student politics should know that many achievements in Bangladesh have been made due to the participation and dedication of the students.After 53 years of independence, what should be the type of student politics in Bangladesh or what should be the activities of student politics to face the reality or challenges of the 21st century, what should student politics be like to create citizens suitable for the fourth industrial revolution?
Students of Bangladesh need to be involved in politics, acquire skills, acquire skills in policy-making of the modern state system.Absolute tolerance has to be practiced, but there is no compromise with the spirit of freedom and independence of the country.After 53 years of independence, what should be the type of student politics in Bangladesh what should be the activities of student politics to face the reality or challenges of the 21st century, and how should student politics be to create citizens suitable for the fourth industrial revolution? Violating a person’s fundamental human rights in the name of autonomy or institutional democracy is a criminal offense.
If you think about it in another way, we have nothing to decide in the country by looking at what is in a country and what is not in a country.Bangladesh has its history.There is tradition.There is culture.Due to geographical location, the people of our country have distinct tastes and distinct social systems.So, everything in a country should be their way.But it must be remembered that there is no chance to ignore the freedom and victory day won by the great sacrifice of Bengalis.But there is no chance to forget that the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib gave us a free country by leading this country to freedom.At the same time, no one has given anyone the right to ultimately curtail the right of a student to move, express, assemble, and organize per the Constitution.
There is no opportunity to introduce a social infrastructure of discriminatory-violent-separation.This student politics will be modern, up-to-date, diverse-creative, knowledge-logic-fact-based.In the last 15 years, Bangladesh, which was left behind by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, has been brought back to the path of light, development, and progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.In Sheikh Hasina’s planned advanced-modern Bangladesh, our overall student politics, above all in our educational institutions, cannot be conducted in a backward manner.The beginnings of modern systematic student politics are found in all the highest educational institutions in the country.
Because student politics will serve as a model platform to present the developed and smart student politics in Sheikh Hasina’s planned future, Smart Bangladesh.BUET is a very reputed educational institution in Bangladesh.There should be no question that the alumni of BUET deserve rare credit for enhancing the country’s reputation in engineering education and research at home and abroad.As a nation, we gratefully acknowledge the contribution of BUET.A university will be destroyed if student politics is introduced on campus, such a decision belies the glorious history of student politics.In other universities where there is student politics, there is no study, no research, no teaching research!It is not right to say such things.
It should be remembered that there are educational institutions and universities in Bangladesh besides BUET;there is student politics, and world-class reading and research. So, there is no reason to think others are small while proving yourself big.But it is part of our national character that we lose ourselves in joy if we belittle others.The way student politics is cheaply presented with a negative idea, one can see the tendency to confront education with student politics for the sake of protecting the educational environment, which is not at all pleasant for the fair development of a society.
By banning student politics in educational institutions, on the one hand, we destroy the possibility of many talented students becoming talented political leaders, on the other hand, by presenting student politics in a negative light, we are sending a very negative message about politics and politicians to the society.As a result, politics will take place in the minds and hearts of the young generation as a negative issue, which will make the talented generation averse to politics on the one hand, and on the other hand, future politics will also lose talented faces.
Before independence, we have seen and continue to see many masterminds of this country conspiring against the country.Standing against politics is also a special type of non-politics.The talent that hurts the history, tradition, art, culture, and ethnicity of the state must be abandoned.Mindfulness is developed through real politics, patriotism is awakened.Humanity and civility are awakened.Therefore, we are hoping that BUET will become exemplary in its self-glory through healthy politics rather than non-politics. Even after 53 years of independence, engineers from Japan or China do the main work in mega projects.Many of the engineers who have passed from BUET claim that they are doing big jobs abroad without getting proper evaluation in the country.Everyone wants something useful for the country, people, civilization, and motherland.
Hiren Pandit is an essayist, researcher and a columnist.