There is uneasiness among students of private universities and their guardians following the recent killings in the city’s Gulshan area and Kishoreganj, in which students of renowned educational institutions were involved. They say militants do not enter universities with guns, they come with ideas of extremism and militancy to motivate students.
The universities are taking strict steps such as rusticating students for being absent from courses for a certain period. But these are not enough. Concerted efforts are needed to weed out extremist and militant elements from the universities, they feel.
The universities have a limited scope to monitor students because they spend most of their time outside with family members and friends. But when an incident takes place, the universities get the bad name as their students are involved. The university authorities should do whatever is possible to root out militant elements from the campuses. Guardians of NSU students said they are living in fear after coming to know that some students of the university were involved in the killing incidents at the Gulshan café in the capital and near the Eid congregation in Sholakia of Kishoreganj district.
Sanjida Akhter Shoma, a BBA student of NSU, told The Independent that she was shocked to learn that some of the students of her university were involved in the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks. “We feel sad when our friends from other universities talk about militant elements in our university. After all, it’s a matter of the image of the university, both at home and abroad. Although the NSU authorities have beefed up internal security and are checking our bags and mobile phones, it’s not enough to stop militant elements. Concerted efforts of students, teachers and the authorities are needed," she said. "The university
authorities have suddenly decided that students will be rusticated if they remain absent for one semester. But this is not enough. The problem doesn’t lie there, it’s the matter of ideas. Militants don’t come to the universities with guns and arms, rather they come with ideas. So, a new mechanism should be set up in the universities for warding off ideas of extremism and militancy,” she added.
 Replying to a query, she said: “A student may be absent for one semester due to financial or family problem. The authorities should think about it. They should rather pay attention to increased monitoring of students and teachers to curb extremism and militancy on the campus.”
 Ehtesham, a student of the architecture department, said: “We feel sad after getting to know about involvement of NSU students in the Gulshan café killings and the attack on the Sholakia Eid congregation. It’s difficult for the university to keep tabs on over 20,000 students. But after the killing incidents, the situation here has changed as some names of students have come up. Security has been beefed up. Upbringing is very important as students spend most of their time with their families. Besides, student-teacher relations should be strengthened.”
 Asked about the government’s directive regarding the absence of students from classes for 10 consecutive days, Sazib Khan, a student of Daffodil International University, said: “It’s a good initiative. It’d stop students from being absent. Most of the time students come to the university but don’t attend classes.”
 Ayesha Begum, who was waiting outside the NSU’s main gate yesterday for her daughter doing her BBA, said involvement of NSU students in terror acts is unexpected and puts pressure on other students. “We’re in fear. We’re sending children to universities for studying but are shocked when we see them as terrorists. Guardians should be very friendly with their children and should share different things with them so that they don’t take the wrong path,” she added.
The Holey Artisan Bakery and Sholakia incidents have shaken the nation, as students of renowned private educational institutions and well-off families were involved. Against such a backdrop, the government issued a directive that the university authorities would have to inform the government if any student was absent from classes for 10 or more consecutive days.  The private universities have begun taking initiatives to monitor students who will go missing or remain absent from classes or semesters.