The student wing of the Awami League, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists, unleashed a violent assault on demonstrators last July-August amidst a wave of student-led protests under the banner of Students Against Discrimination. Guided by directives from the central Chhatra League, activists from the Jagannath University (JnU) unit joined the fray in the Dhaka University area. Despite the attack being meticulously documented in widely circulated video footage, no disciplinary actions have been initiated against those involved.
The July uprising, which led to the ousting of the Awami League government, marked a pivotal shift in Bangladesh's political activism. Astonishingly, some JnU Chhatra League leaders, arrested in connection with a murder case related to the uprising, are reportedly attending classes and sitting for exams from prison. Meanwhile, other individuals affiliated with the student organisation, who played direct roles in the brutal assaults, continue their academic pursuits unchallenged. This inaction by the university administration has ignited widespread indignation among students.
In stark contrast, Chittagong University (CU) swiftly identified and expelled several Chhatra League activists involved in similar acts of violence. The university administration declared that expelled students still enrolled would lose their academic standing, while those who had graduated would encounter issues with their certificates. Similarly, the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) took decisive measures by permanently expelling eight Chhatra League students and suspending several others. The Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) administration has also acted against 21 students: 18 were expelled from the dormitory, and 3 were issued show-cause notices.
Sajibur Rahman, convener of Justice for July at Jagannath University, vehemently condemned the prevailing impunity, stating, "Teachers who supported the July massacre, directly or indirectly, are still conducting classes. The nameplate of Khair, a law department teacher who shared Hasina's live video link, still hangs in the department, even though he has left the country."
"Many activists of Chhatra League, including those involved in the attack at Dhaka University on 15 July, are taking exams with the aid of pro-Awami League faculties, even being allowed to sit for tests in their offices. Expecting prison exams to be regulated in such an environment is simply unrealistic," he remarked.
