Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday once again said her government is preparing a list of errant activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League to bring them to book.

On July 16, Sheikh Hasina issued Chhatra League activists the same warning at a Awami League Central Working Committee meeting.

The premier was yesterday speaking at a discussion organised by BCL at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre marking the August 15.

“We are collecting information and preparing a list of Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra Dal activists who infiltrated into BCL and are committing violence in public universities and colleges,” said Sheikh Hasina, also the ruling Awami League president.

She said some BCL leaders gave shelter to Shibir and Chhatra Dal activists over factional feuds in the BCL. These feuds must stop.

“Refrain from any sort of criminal activities, otherwise you [BCL activists] will be arrested and brought to book,” Hasina said, adding, “There are some people who claim to belong to the ruling party and do wrong things. You must be careful about them.”

She also asked BCL leadership to immediately expel the troublemakers. The AL chief directed BCL activists to work with devotion and patriotism to revive the lost glory of student politics and build a prosperous digital Bangladesh.

She urged Chhatra League activists to concentrate in studies. “You must be educated and qualified, as an illiterate leader cannot contribute much in developing a nation.

Reminiscing the glorious days of student politics and people’s respect for student leaders, she said it is unfortunate for the government that military dictators have destroyed student politics.

She said, “General Ayub Khan, Ziaur Rahman and Ershad destroyed the student politics giving arms and money to students. Among them, Ziaur Rahman spoiled the overall ethics of politics for which many politicians now get involved in politics to earn money.”

The defeated forces of the 1971 Liberation War killed the Father of the Nation and destroyed the constitution and democracy, she continued.

Hasina also thanked the Dhaka University vice chancellor for cancelling Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s expulsion in 1950 from the university.

Addressing the discussion, AL presidium member Obaidul Quader said a conspiracy is still on to repeat the tragedy of August 15, 1975. The government should bring qualitative changes in its activities to reply to opposition threats of anti-government movements.

He urged BCL leaders to prepare themselves to implement the charter for changes, which the AL chief promised in the election manifesto.

He also urged the premier to set up a research university named after Bangabandhu to ensure quality education.

DU Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said every BCL activist should be self-rectified if they want to build a “Golden Bengal” as dreamt by the Father of the Nation. They should be careful so that no one can tarnish their image.

He said, “Every Chhatra League activist will have to be responsible and use every moment of their time properly.”

Bangabandhu made a nation independent, as he had valued his time, said the DU VC, adding, “So you [BCL activists] need to take an oath to serve the nation as Bangabandhu did.”

During his speech, Prof Siddique demanded that the government bring the convicted fugitive killers of Bangabandhu back to the country. He also urged the government to expedite the trial of war criminals.

Chittagong University professor Hamida Banu, renowned journalist Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, BCL General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton also spoke at the discussion chaired by BCL president Mahmud Hasan Ripon.

Keywords/Tags: Chatro League, chatroleague and war crime trial issue, Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Shibir, Daily Star, prime minister, sheikh hasina, Terrorism, ছাত্র শিবির, ছাত্রদল, ছাত্রলীগ, ছাত্রলীগ ও যুদ্ধাপরাধী বিচার ইস্যু, ডেইলি স্টার, প্রধানমন্ত্রী, শেখ হাসিনা, সন্ত্রাসবাদ