Bring back BCL’s glorious past

It is a tragedy that Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), an organisation that has a glorious history of independence struggle, has lost its way, turning into a ghost of its former self over the years. There have been numerous allegations of extortion and abuse of power against this student wing of the ruling party, which were, most recently, highlighted by the removal of its top two leaders for their involvement in demanding bribe from the JU authorities (for a controversial development project). But perhaps this is no surprise that Chhatra League would turn out to be what it is today.

The political culture of establishing control over universities through the student wings of political parties has not only plagued Chhatra League, but also our entire tertiary education landscape. I sincerely hope the authorities will realise the gravity of the situation and strive to bring back the glorious days of student politics. That also includes Chhatra League, which has so much potential to be a platform serving the interests of all students, rather than a few politically ambitious ones.