Participants pose for a group photo after a debate competition yesterday. SAT Photo
Dr. Ainun Nishat, President of BUET Alumni Association, has said, “It is not acceptable that the students will do politics based on fringes. Now student politics has become a lucrative profession.”
“It is not acceptable for students to engage in dirty politics. Ragging, extortion, abuse of power are not desirable in student politics here,” he said at a shadow parliament debate competition, held at the Bangladesh Film and Development Corporation (BFDC) auditorium on Saturday (April 20). Dr. Ainun Nishat attended the debate competition as chief guest.
The theme of the shadow parliament debate competition was “Student Politics and Friendly Environment of Education in BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology)”.
The “Debate for Democracy” is a non-profit, non-government, debate organization that seeks to develop the quality of life of current and future generations through debate, has organized the debate competition.
Chairman of the Debate for Democracy Hassan Ahamed Chowdhury Kiron presided over the event. The editor and publisher of The South Asian Times Deepak Kumar Acharjee, retired Professor Abu Muhammad Rais, Consultant of International Organization for Migration (IOM) Dr. SM Morshed, Special Correspondent of Channel I Mustafa Kamal Mallick, senior reporter of Channel 71 Sharmin Neera attended as judges in the debate competition.
Dr. Ainun Nishat said that BUET students have to study extensively for good results. Therefore, the non-politicization based on laziness disrupts the supportive learning environment of BUET students.
“There may be student parliament in BUET but not party-based politics. If the court gives guidelines defining the scope of student politics, the university can formulate a code of conduct on the matter,” he opined.
He said that many public universities and private universities of the country including BUP, MIST and Khulna University do not have student politics. However, these universities have a system to listen to students' opinions and demands.
Hassan Ahamed Chowdhury Kiron said, "The ongoing situation regarding the student politics of BUET should be resolved by the BUET authority through discussions with all parties including students, teachers, parents, and alumni.
“There is a slight difference between the student council of BUET and the student council of Dhaka University. Since BUET is a specialised higher education institution,” he said.
He also said, 'We have to understand what they want after seeing the solidarity of BUET students in skipping the exam after the Eid holiday. After taking all the preparations for the exam, the teachers waited but no students appeared in the exam hall. Students should take this silent protest into account.
The debaters of Bangladesh University won by defeating the debaters of World University of Bangladesh.
Trophies, crests and certificates were awarded to the winning teams at the end of the competition.
