Six BUET students appeal to PM for a safe campus with politics

A group of students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have appealed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to have a safe and secure campus with politics at BUET.

They held a press conference at the Shaheed Minar of BUET on Thursday.

These six students are: Ashiqul Alam, Arghya Das, Aritra Ghosh, Tanvir Mahmud, Sagar Biswas, and Mishu Dutta. These students, studying in different departments of BUET, are known to be supporters of the Chhatra League.

In the press conference, they said, "Honorable Prime Minister, give us a safe and free campus to express our opinions. We want our security of life. We have to go through various complications including life threats."

In the press conference of Chhatra League supporters, BUET students Ashiqul Alam and Aritra Ghosh read out the written statement.

"Honorable Prime Minister, We common BUET students of all faiths want a safe campus. We want freedom of expression. We don't want our campus to become a factory for terrorists," they added.

"We don't know how much the state machinery is monitoring this campus ensuring its security. If we rule out the possibility of any major sabotage incident, we fear that an incident like Holy Artisan may be repeated," they further added.

"Our honourable Prime Minister, respecting your decision, we have submitted our urgent request. Give us the gift of a safe and free-expression campus.  We want to practice progressive politics safely and courageously on the BUET campus.'

Addressing the prime minister, the students said, "Student politics is seen as a forbidden act in the BUET campus. Because we believe in progressive political ideas and we also want to participate in the establishment of Smart Bangladesh, there has been mental harassment on our campus for a long time, which has now turned into a threat to our lives.'

In the written statement, they also mentioned, "We believe in the spirit of independence of Bangladesh, we appeal to you, honourable prime minister, that the amount of bullying that has been done to us just for free expression is unspeakable."

After the brutal murder of Fahad Bhai, a student of BUET, student politics was banned in BUET. But then minority students began to be publicly insulted and slandered even though there were no allegations of ragging or any violation of university rules involved. This is only because of the belief in the spirit of freedom and liberation war. Later, when we were admitted to BUET, we were bullied and harassed in various ways even if we wanted to cherish the ideals of the father of the nation.

They also mentioned in a written statement, "On the night of March 27, Central Chhatra League President Saddam Hossain appeared at BUET premises at night. Imtiaz's demand for expulsion was accepted by the vice-chancellor without any inquiry.

Later, he was also asked to be permanently expelled from BUET, which actually amounts to ruining a student's academic career. This movement destroys the atmosphere of peace in the campus, which leads to chaos like examination boycott."

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