DU losing its heritage and contributions

Dr. Syed Nesar Ahmad Rumy :
Dhaka University, the prime university of Bangladesh is the metaphor of all aspirations and hopes of the people in this part of this subcontinent. Since the early twenties of 20th century Dhaka University (DU) started its academic activities. And it has completed its hundred years about two years back. The aspirations and dreams of this part of this subcontinent are manifesting through different academic activities since its functioning more than hundred years ago. Nationalist movement, language movement, movement for autonomy and independence movement evolved in the Dhaka University. And there was a time people used to look at the students of Dhaka University on different national crisis. But nowadays, the activities of the students and student leaders are in questions. Much negative news, activities of students, student leaders and teachers make all of us ashamed that many of us were the students of this apex institution of the country.
Teaching is a noble profession and as we know that teachers of Dhaka University are the best students of our country. But what we recently see that some teachers are involved in plagiarisms and they did it while publishing their research articles. Even some of them submitted their Ph.D. and M.Phil. thesis taking substantial part of research works of others and that were not mentioned in the thesis they submitted for M.Phil. or Ph.D. All these stories came to the press. To check the plagiarism Dhaka University authority is now formulating a procedure. Hope the objectives of this initiative will be fulfilled in the days to come.
Before nineties of last century the university teachers were always in the path of right or just causes and truths. They would not act as the spokespersons of different political parties. They had their own identity and their attitudes and activities used to command the respect of the common people. That time vice chancellors of public universities were highly respectable persons in our society. But situation and environment are now different. Even the education minister made a statement in the parliament that now the teachers commanding respects from all quarters in the society are not interested for the post of Vice Chancellors. This indicates that how the situation deteriorated in the higher education sector in Bangladesh.
Though this declining situation spreads in the majority of the institutions but the people’s eye is always stuck up to the incidents happening in the Dhaka University as it is the apex educational institution of the country. In our national history and in crisis times of our nation, Dhaka University and its students had important role. In this context we can refer the years of 1948, 1952, 1962, 1969, 1971, 1983 and 1990. In those years’ students of Dhaka University played significant roles which are still considered turning points of our national history. Now it is a very rare thing that the students of Dhaka University coming to the street for any just national issue. In this case there was only exception after year 2007 and that was movement against quota system in the government service. That movement pressurized the government so much that government to bow down and in the end government had to go for annulment of quota system.
But what is now happening in the dorms of Dhaka University. As reported in the different newspapers that the dorms are fully controlled by the ruling party student wing. We know university is the center of excellence and everybody can think here out of the boxes. But it is a reality that it is not now practicing here. Student not associated with ruling party’s student wing are always in a state of intimidation. So students’ extracurricular activities are now being seriously hampered by the environment prevailing in the university campus.
Nowadays, we do not see any tangible activities on cultural front, debates on burning national issues among the students of the Dhaka University. DUCSU is not functioning now. A couple of years back the much awaited election was held but the election result made the ruling party’s student wing staggered. Maybe that is the cause of not holding further DUCSU election. The trends of voting pattern was not comfortable to the ruling party’s student wing though the independent observers thought that the ruling party’s student wing got extra advantages from the university authority during the last DUCSU election.
The environment of Dhaka University can also influence the situation of other public universities in the country. Maybe for this reason the other public universities could not hold the students union elections following the voting pattern of general students of Dhaka University. Now the situation is that the university authority cannot take independent decision by them only. They always look at the attitudes of party in power. Even the a major portion of teachers of the public universities are no more indulged to think in a different way rather they are more inclined to serve the interest of the establishment. Many can say that that peace and tranquility in the university campus are prevailing now than other time. There is no much complaining of chaos and hooliganism in the campus now. But this does not indicate that public universities run well as there is no environment of open discussions, diverse opinions in the varsity campuses. We admit or not there prevails a situation of intimidation everywhere in the universities. University is the center of excellence and birthplace of diverse ideas and thoughts on different national issues. These now lack seriously in the University of Dhaka and as well as other public universities in the country.
Dhaka University had the pioneering roles in our entire national crisis and professors like RC Majumder, Sattyen Bose were the teachers of Dhaka University during British era. But now we do not find any achievements which are internationally acclaimed. Even in the world ranking the position of Dhaka University is in much lower strata nowadays.
Group politics, parochialism manifested heavily among the teachers of this institution. But many people do not want to see this situation of the university. We want students and teachers of this institution should raise their voices like what they had done during military backed caretaker government. For that movement the then government had to withdraw military contingent from the university area and to release the arrested teachers of the university. Such type of movement is now very much rare or unfamiliar in Dhaka University. It is the public opinion that they want further initiatives of the teachers and students of Dhaka University in any of our national crisis. As a former student we want this and we do not want to see any degradation of our Alma Mater.

(The writer is a former civil servant).