Saqlain Rizve
On September 19, the administration of the University of Dhaka decided to ban all kinds of student-teacher-staff politics on campus. Since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic regime through a mass uprising led by students, 33 higher education institutes have banned student politics. Among them are 18 government universities, four government colleges, and 10 government medical colleges.
Following this, on October 23, the government banned the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the 76-year-old pro-Awami League (AL) student wing, under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009. The decision came after allegations of the BCL’s violent role in the last regime and in suppressing student-led protests, including attacks during the July 2024 Movement.
Student politics have long played a significant role in the Indian subcontinent, including their contribution to ending 200 years of British rule. After the Partition in 1947, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was totally controlled by West Pakistan. The imposition of Urdu as the state language for Bengali-speaking East Pakistan sparked protests, led largely by students. On February 21, 1952, several students were killed during these protests, a day now celebrated globally as International Mother Language Day. Following this, students continued to be at the forefront of political upheavals in Bangladesh, including the Liberation War of 1971.
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