BUET in Limbo: No bar on student politics: HC

Special Correspondent :
The High Court (HC) has stayed the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s (BUET) authority’s decision to ban political organisations and activities on the university campus.

Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice KM Zahid passed the order over hearing a writ petition on Monday.

The court also issued a rule asking why the decision to ban student politics on campus should not be deemed illegal.

The writ was filed challenging the legality of a circular banning all political organisations and activities.

The court also asked the university authorities to explain why the decision to ban student politics would not be contrary to constitutional provisions.

Lawyers said that there are no legal obstacles to doing student politics at BUET now due to the High Court order.

The order, along with the rule, was given by the HC after the hearing of a writ petition filed by Imtiaz Rabbi, a student and Chhatra League leader whose dormitory allotment was revoked by BUET authorities.

BUET student Imtiaz filed the writ over the legality of the ‘urgent circular’ that the BUET authority issued on October 11, 2019.

The BCL leader sought a directive from the university authorities to allow student politics by staying the previous decision, lawyer Shah Monjurul Hoque said.

Earlier on Friday, BUET students boycotted all sorts of academic activities after witnessing the Chhatra League staging a return to political activity on the campus.

Despite the ban on student politics following the murder of student Abrar Fahad, a few leaders and activists of the Chhatra League allegedly entered the campus. They carried out political activities on March 27.

Expressing their anger at the incident, the protesting students placed several demands on the BUET administration in written form, including the expulsion of Imtiaz Rabby and students who assisted him in entering BCL leaders on campus at night.

Quickly responding to that protest, the university authorities revoked Rabby’s dormitory allotment.