Keep students out of active politics

we believe that limited political engagement to form student unions to protect and fight for their due rights is not inevitably damaging. However, the students� limited political engagement should be specifically defined and monitored for its effective implementation

Speaking as the chief guest at an orientation programme of the MBBS students in Dhaka Medical College (DMC) auditorium on Saturday, the Health Minister Mohammad Nasim urged medical students to refrain from active political engagements, in order to focus solely on studies so that they can become expert doctors. The minister’s call is commendable, given its intentions to motivate professionalism among upcoming doctors. However, we believe that the call must not only be limited to medical students only but all students in general should be kept out from politics.
Bangladesh has a rich history of student politics. Many of our lawmakers today were student leaders at one point, playing crucial roles in various movements. Many of them were known to be hardworking and brilliant students. Moreover, their political engagements and activities only became serious when the need to struggle for a national common cause had arisen.
Nowadays, party interest reigns paramount and student politics in Bangladesh has turned out to be reactive, confrontational, and violent. Political affiliation has become more prominent than merit.  Extortion and violence in the name of politics have become day-to-day affairs. Instead of serving the interests of the students in general, this vicious trend of student politics, in fact, is harming the interests of students. The long session jam is public universities is direct result of this politics. This was not expected.
It is still a matter of concern that nature of political activism of students in Bangladesh was never in point of fact formally drafted and defined and it went unchecked and unregulated. The repercussions for that negligence are now apparent to all.
We believe that limited political engagement to form student unions to protect and fight for their due rights is not inevitably damaging. However, the students’ limited political engagement should be specifically defined and monitored for its effective implementation. Barely 10 days into the New Year, and a minister calling for medical students to concentrate on studies, is indeed a promising sign.  Coupled with a golden opportunity to restore its past glory, the year 2016 could be the year for the authorities to take the initiative to cleanse our student politics from its current state. We hope that this message is taken sincerely.

Keep students out of active politics

we believe that limited political engagement to form student unions to protect and fight for their due rights is not inevitably damaging. However, the students� limited political engagement should be specifically defined and monitored for its effective implementation

Speaking as the chief guest at an orientation programme of the MBBS students in Dhaka Medical College (DMC) auditorium on Saturday, the Health Minister Mohammad Nasim urged medical students to refrain from active political engagements, in order to focus solely on studies so that they can become expert doctors. The ministers call is commendable, given its intentions to motivate professionalism among upcoming doctors. However, we believe that the call must not only be limited to medical students only but all students in general should be kept out from politics. Bangladesh has a rich history of student politics. Many of our lawmakers today were student leaders at one point, playing crucial roles in various movements. Many of them were known to be hardworking and brilliant students. Moreover, their political engagements and activities only became serious when the need to struggle for a national common cause had arisen. Nowadays, party interest reigns paramount and student politics in Bangladesh has turned out to be reactive, confrontational, and violent. Political affiliation has become more prominent than merit. Extortion and violence in the name of politics have become day-to-day affairs. Instead of serving the interests of the students in general, this vicious trend of student politics, in fact, is harming the interests of students. The long session jam is public universities is direct result of this politics. This was not expected. It is still a matter of concern that nature of political activism of students in Bangladesh was never in point of fact formally drafted and defined and it went unchecked and unregulated. The repercussions for that negligence are now apparent to all. We believe that limited political engagement to form student unions to protect and fight for their due rights is not inevitably damaging. However, the students limited political engagement should be specifically defined and monitored for its effective implementation. Barely 10 days into the New Year, and a minister calling for medical students to concentrate on studies, is indeed a promising sign. Coupled with a golden opportunity to restore its past glory, the year 2016 could be the year for the authorities to take the initiative to cleanse our student politics from its current state. We hope that this message is taken sincerely.