Action against BCL leadership

It is learnt that the prime minister is contemplating to dissolve the current committee of Bangladesh Chattra League and, as a prelude to this, the special entry passes of the president and general secretary of the BCL to Gano Bhaban have been revoked. Such an action is essential given the well-known litany of excesses that have been committed by the student wing of the Awami League. Needless to say, these have been to the detriment of the party's image. It has not only given the government a bad name, it has also set a very bad example of rowdiness.

We have been constantly highlighting the preposterous, indiscreet and outrageous behaviour of the BCL in order to alert the party chief and the leadership about the harmful consequences of an unruly Chattra League. The PM is known to have expressed her displeasure from time to time but little action was taken to stop the BCL from its disruptive and wayward behaviour, particularly in the public universities.

In fact, there is hardly any crime that the BCL has no committed. From snatching tender box to working as ancillary to the law enforcing agencies in chastising other students or student groups ventilating genuine grievances, and interfering in the administration of the universities. The last straw was perhaps getting 34 of their cadre admitted in Dhaka University violating the rules.   We welcome the steps taken by the AL in this regard and those being considered. These have come not a day too soon. However, merely dissolving the existing committee and having a new one in its place would mean very little unless the ethos of the members of the BCL as a whole is changed. The very attitude that they can do and will do everything with gay abandon and impunity will have to be purged. Only then the Chattra League can be used to motivate the youth for nation building activities. And only then can it reclaim its glorious past. For the AL, the strongest and the biggest political party, this is not a not a big ask.